Cannes, FRANCE (May 20, 2011) – IFC Midnight announced today from the 2011 Cannes Film Festival that the company is acquiring all North American rights to Justin Kurzel’s SNOWTOWN from Protagonist Pictures. The film, with a screenplay by Shaun Grant, based on a story by Grant and Kurzel, stars Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris, Frank Cwertniak, Matthew Howard, Marcus Howard, Anthony Groves, Richard Green, and Aaron Viergever. Arriving with much buzz after winning the Audience Award at the Adelaide Film Festival, the film was just awarded a special citation last night by the Critic’s Week jury.
Based on a true story, SNOWTOWN follows sixteen-year-old Jamie who begins a friendship with a charismatic older man. As the relationship grows, so do Jamie’s suspicions, until he finds his world threatened by both his loyalty for, and fear of, his newfound father-figure. The older man Jamie befriended was John Bunting, Australia’s most notorious serial killer.
Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: "SNOWTOWN is a phenomenal debut film that announces Justin Kurzel as a major new voice. We are thrilled to introduce him to American audiences and happy to continue our relationship with protagonist pictures after In The Loop and our upcoming release Kill List."
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Productions, and Jeff Deutchman, Manager of Acquisitions & Productions, for Sundance Selects/IFC Films with Ben Roberts, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, on behalf of the filmmakers.
IFC Midnight’s sister division Sundance Selects picked up several other titles at this week’s festival including U.S. rights to Julia Leigh’s SLEEPING BEAUTY; all North American rights to writer/director Bertrand Bonello’s HOUSE OF TOLERANCE; a pre-buy of all U.S. rights to writer/director Mia Hansen Love’s GOODBYE FIRST LOVE; and all U.S. rights to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s THE KID WITH A BIKE.
IFC Midnight is a sister division to IFC Films and Sundance Selects, and is owned and operated by Rainbow Media.
About IFC MIDNIGHT
Established in 2010 and based in New York City, IFC Midnight is a leading U.S. distributor of genre entertainment including horror, science-fiction, thrillers, erotic art house, action and more. Its unique distribution model makes independent genre films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on cable’s Video On Demand (VOD) platform, reaching nearly 50 million homes. Some of the company’s successes have included Tom Six’s controversial horror film The Human Centipede (First Sequence), Johnnie To’s Hong Kong revenge thriller Vengeance, and James Gunn’s Super starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Kevin Bacon. Upcoming IFC Midnight releases include Miguel Angel Vivas’ powerful and shocking home invasion flick Kidnapped and Tom Six’s highly anticipated frightfest The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence). IFC Midnight is a sister division to Sundance Selects and IFC Films, and is owned and operated by Rainbow Media.