NEW YORK, NY (MARCH 06, 2019) – IFC Midnight announced today that it is acquiring U.S. rights to GREENER GRASS, based on the 2016 short film of the same name, which received the Special Jury Recognition for Writing at SXSW. The film marks the first feature film from award-winning UCB breakouts, Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, who wrote, directed and also star in this revelatory debut. The film features an all-star roster of up-and-coming comedic talent including, Beck Bennett (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE), Neil Casey (GHOSTBUSTERS, SILICON VALLEY), Mary Holland (MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES, VEEP) and D’Arcy Carden (THE GOOD PLACE). The film is produced by Natalie Metzger (THUNDER ROAD) and executive produced by Gulp Splash Productions and Vanishing Angle. GREENER GRASS had its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and will screen at the SXSW Film Festival on March 8th. IFC Midnight will release the film in 2019.
GREENER GRASS is a deliciously twisted comedy set in a demented, timeless suburbia where every adult wears braces on their straight teeth, couples coordinate meticulously pressed outfits, and coveted family members are swapped in more ways than one in this competition for acceptance. The film is a twist on everyday suburban life – both a love letter and an “FU” – where the characters make life-altering decisions on a whim and being polite is held to a highest standard, even if it means you go too far.
Arianna Bocco, EVP of Acquisitions and Productions at IFC Films/Sundance Selects/IFC Midnight commented, “With GREENER GRASS, Jocelyn and Dawn, like many great comedy duos before them, prove that their fresh, whip-smart voices are ready to be heard across the country. We could not be more thrilled to welcome them to the IFC family, where we are committed to championing new voices in independent cinema.”
Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe added, “IFC has been a champion of GREENER GRASS since its beginning as a short film and it’s long been a dream of ours that the feature version would land there. IFC is known for having the coolest, weirdest, most incredibly curated independent movies around. We are thrilled GREENER GRASS will be joining the ranks and blown away by Arianna’s passion.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco (IFC) and 30WEST on behalf of the filmmakers. Kinology is handling international sales.
###
ABOUT IFC MIDNIGHT
Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of independent film. Its unique distribution model makes independent 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.
Upcoming releases include Emma Tammi’s THE WIND and Josh Lobo’s I TRAPPED THE DEVIL. Some of the company’s successes have included the award-winning and cultural phenomenon THE BABADOOK, Andy Nyman’s acclaimed love letter to Hammer horror anthologies GHOST STORIES, André Øvredal’s critically beloved THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE, Peter Strickland’s modern giallo BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO and his follow up THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, and Rodney Ascher’s cult-hit documentary ROOM 237. IFC Midnight is a sister label to Sundance Selects and IFC Films, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe are an award-winning writing and directing team based in Los Angeles. Both veteran performers at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Jocelyn and Dawn partnered in 2015 and formed Gulp Splash Productions. Their first feature, “Greener Grass,” premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. They wrote, directed, and co-star in the film alongside Beck Bennett (“SNL”), Neil Casey (“Ghostbusters”), Mary Holland (“Veep”), and D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place”). “Greener Grass” is a dark comedy based on their 2016 SXSW award-winning short film by the same name. Following its premiere at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France, the “Greener Grass” short received a distribution deal with Canal + in Europe and Africa. Jocelyn and Dawn recently directed two episodes of TruTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything”. In 2017, they sold a television pilot to IFC. They have written and produced three short films which have appeared in over 70 film festivals worldwide. They won “Best Direction” for their short, “The Arrival” at Funcinema Crítica de Cine in Argentina. “The Arrival” also was named “Best International Short Film” at the Roma International Short Film Festival, “Best Short Film” in the Lounge Comedy Shorts program at the The Napa Valley Film Festival, “Best Comedy” at the Way Down Film Festival in Georgia, and received the Audience Award at The Chicago Critics Film Festival. www.gulpsplash.com