NEW YORK, NY (MAY 19, 2020) – IFC Films announced today that it is acquiring US rights to MY SALINGER YEAR, directed by Philippe Falardeau (CHUCK, MONSIEUR LAZHAR), and adapted by Falardeau from Joanna Rakoff’s celebrated memoir of the same name. The film stars breakout actress Margaret Qualley (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, FOSSE/VERDON) and Sigourney Weaver (ALIEN, AVATAR), and is produced by Luc Déry and Kim McCraw of mirco_scope, and co-produced by Ruth Coady and Susan Mullen of Parallel Films in association with Memento Films International and La Cinéfacture. MY SALINGER YEAR premiered as the Opening Night film at Berlinale 2020, and IFC Films will be releasing the film later this year.
New York in the 90s: After leaving graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, Joanna (Margaret Qualley) gets hired as an assistant to Margaret (Sigourney Weaver), the stoic and old-fashioned literary agent of J. D. Salinger. Fluctuating between poverty and glamour, she spends her days in a plush, wood-panelled office – where dictaphones and typewriters still reign and agents doze off after three-martini lunches – and her nights in a sink-less Brooklyn apartment with her socialist boyfriend.
Joanna’s main task is processing Salinger’s voluminous fan mail, but as she reads the heart-wrenching letters from around the world, she becomes reluctant to send the agency’s impersonal standard letter and impulsively begins personalizing the responses. The results are both humorous and moving, as Joanna, while using the great writer’s voice, begins to discover her own.
Arianna Bocco EVP of Acquisitions and Productions at IFC Films said, “We look forward to collaborating with Phillippe once again, this time on the adaptation of a highly acclaimed memoir and an authentic New York story brought to life by excellent performances from breakout Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver.”
Director Philippe Falardeau added, “We’re delighted by IFC’s acquisition of My Salinger Year. The US distribution was an important objective when we acquired Joanna Rakoff’s memoirs back in 2015. This coming-of-age story is rooted in the literary world of New York and we’re convinced it can appeal to a variety of audiences especially considering Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver’s beautiful performances. IFC’s worldly collection of films is both exciting and varied and we’re happy to be part of it.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films’ EVP of Acquisitions and Productions Arianna Bocco with UTA Independent Film Group and Memento Films International on behalf of the filmmakers.
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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) and digital platforms.
Upcoming releases include THE TRUTH directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu and Shannon Murphy’s BABYTEETH. Some of the company’s successes over the years have included BOYHOOD, THE DEATH OF STALIN, FRANCES HA, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, THE BABADOOK, TOUCHING THE VOID, 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, CHE, SUMMER HOURS, ANTICHRIST, IN THE LOOP, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK, TINY FURNITURE, and CARLOS. IFC Films has worked with established and breakout filmmakers, including Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Miranda July, Lars Von Trier, Gaspar Noé, Todd Solondz, Cristian Mungiu, Susanne Bier, Olivier Assayas, Jim McKay, Larry Fessenden, Paul Dano, Gregg Araki, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, Abdellatif Kechiche, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Abbas Kiarostami, Alfonso Cuaron, Noah Baumbach, Lena Dunham, Ethan Hawke and many more. IFC Films is a sister label to Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.