NEW YORK (April 19, 2011) – IFC Midnight announced today that the company is acquiring U.S. distribution rights to director Jon Knautz’s thriller THE SHRINE. The film, produced by J. Michael Dawson, stars Aaron Ashmore (SMALLVILLE), Cindy Sampson (SUPERNATURAL) and Ben Lewis (SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD). Knautz and Brendan Moore penned the screenplay, and Trevor Matthews of Brookstreet Pictures served as executive producer. The film won Best Canadian Feature at the 2010 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, and played 2010 ScreamFest in Los Angeles.
After a young American backpacker goes missing in Europe, a group of journalists link his disappearance to a remote village in Poland. They travel there hoping to get the story, but as they unravel the secrets behind this mysterious village, they are suddenly pursued by hostile locals. Unable to escape, they soon become the next victims of ritualistic human sacrifice. Forced into the gruesome reality of true survival horror, the journalists soon discover that this village hides a much darker secret than they could ever imagine.
Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: "THE SHRINE is an exciting new edition to the IFC Midnight line-up. Jon Knautz takes audiences on a chilling and terrifying journey that is complimented perfectly by a terrific cast of up-and-coming talent."
The deal for THE SHRINE was negotiated by Lizzie Nastro, Director of Acquisitions & Co-Productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films with Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content on behalf of the filmmakers.
IFC Midnight is a sister division to Sundance Selects and IFC Films, 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) and Johnnie To’s Hong Kong revenge thriller Vengeance. Upcoming IFC Midnight releases include James Gunn’s Super starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Kevin Bacon; Mexican filmmaker Jorge Michel Grau’s feature directorial debut We Are What We Are; 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.
About Brookstreet Pictures
Brookstreet Pictures is an independent film production company with a focus on developing and producing films that are both artistically driven and commercially viable. Established in 2004 by founders Trevor Matthews and Jon Knautz, Brookstreet Pictures is backed by venture-capital firm Wesley Clover Media. Brookstreet’s first feature, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER premiered at 2007 Sitges, where it won the Midnight Extreme Award. Its US premiere was at Slamdance 2008, where it was acquired by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Brookstreet Pictures recently relocated from Ottawa, Canada to Beverly Hills and is currently developing a slate of low to mid-budget features in all genres.