IFC Midnight has acquired North American rights to Jennifer Reeder’s visionary coming-of-age thriller KNIVES AND SKIN, starring Kate Arrington (THE IRISHMAN, HELLO I MUST BE GOING), Tony Fitzpatrick (MARRIED TO THE MOB, PHILADELPHIA), Tim Hopper (SCHOOL OF ROCK, VANILLA SKY), Raven Whitley (RED LINE), and Ty Olwin (PERSONAL SHOPPER). KNIVES AND SKIN was produced by Brian Hieggelke and Jan Hieggelke of Newcity/Chicago Film Project. The film had its World Premiere at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival and had its North American debut at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and 2019 Fantasia Film Festival. KNIVES AND SKIN will next screen at the upcoming 2019 Fantastic Fest, and the prestigious 2019 Deauville American Film Festival. IFC Midnight is planning to release the film in December 2019.
KNIVES AND SKIN follows the investigation of a young girl’s disappearance in a stylized
version of a rural Midwest town that hovers just above reality, led by an inexperienced local sheriff. Unusual coping techniques develop among the traumatized small-town residents with each new secret revealed. The ripple of fear and suspicion destroys some relationships and strengthens others. The backdrop of trauma colors quintessential rituals—classrooms, dances, courtship, football games—in which the teenagers experience an accelerated loss of innocence while their parents are forced to confront adulthood failures. This mystical teen noir presents coming of age as a lifelong process and examines the profound impact of grief.
Arianna Bocco EVP of Acquisitions and Productions of IFC Films said, “KNIVES AND SKIN embodies the kind of uncompromising ambition we believe is essential to the growth of the independent film community. We are thrilled to be partnering not only with Newcity, who understands this ethos implicitly, but also Jennifer Reeder, whose powerful and singular vision has cemented her as a director to watch out for.”
Director Jennifer Reeder added, “KNIVES AND SKIN is exactly the film I set out to make and its entirely from my heart. I have long been a fan of IFC and I am not taking this partnership for granted. IFC is the perfect home for KNIVES AND SKIN and I am deeply excited to share this film with the world.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by EVP of Acquisitions and Productions of IFC Films Arianna Bocco and Acquisitions Coordinator Adam Koehler with CAA/Gersh on behalf of the filmmakers.
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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 Dawn Luebbe and Jocelyn DeBoer’s festival hit GREENER GRASS and Larry Fessenden’s DEPRAVED. Some of the company’s successes have included Andy Nyman’s critical darling GHOST STORIES, André Øvredal’s box-office success THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE, Peter Strickland’s modern giallo BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, Duncan Skiles’ THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER, Lucile Hadžihalilović’s EVOLUTION, Johnnie To’s Hong Kong revenge thriller VENGEANCE, Sean Byrne’s THE DEVIL’S CANDY, John McNaughton’s THE HARVEST, and the award-winning and cultural phenomenon THE BABADOOK. IFC Midnight is a sister label to IFC Films, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.