A round-up of today’s distribution sales at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
Mistress America
Synopsis: Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York, is rescued from her solitude by her soon-to-be stepsister Brooke, an adventurous gal about town who entangles her in alluringly mad schemes. Mistress America is a comedy about dream-chasing, score-settling, makeshift families, and cat-stealing.
Director: Noah Baumbach
Writer: Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke
Buyer: Fox Searchlight
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Don Verdean
Synopsis: Biblical archaeologist Don Verdean is hired by a local church pastor to find faith-promoting relics in the Holy Land. But after a fruitless expedition he is forced to get creative in this comedy of faith and fraud
Director: Jared Hess
Writer: Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Jemaine Clement, Amy Ryan, Danny McBride, Leslie Bibb, Will Forte.
Buyer: Lionsgate
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Results
Synopsis: Danny (Corrigan), a recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable slob, makes a stab at self-improvement by signing up for a personal trainer at a local gym. There he meets self-styled guru/owner Trevor (Pearce) and irresistibly acerbic trainer Kat (Smulders). Soon, their three lives are inextricably knotted, both professionally and personally.
Director: Andrew Bujalski
Writer: Andrew Bujalski
Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall
Buyer: Magnolia
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The End Of The Tour
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Synopsis: In 1996, shortly after the publication of his groundbreaking novel Infinite Jest,acclaimed author David Foster Wallace (Segel) sets off on a five-day interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Eisenberg). As the days pass, a tenuous yet significant relationship develops between journalist and subject. Lipsky and Wallace bob and weave around each other, revealing as much in what they don’t say as what the say. They share laughs, expose hidden frailties, yet it’s never clear when or to what extent they are being truthful. The interview is never published. Five days of audio tapes are packed away in Lipsky’s closet, and the two men never meet again
Director: James Ponsoldt
Writer: Donald Margulies
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Joan Cusack, Mamie Gummer, Ron Livingston
Buyer: A24
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In Football We Trust
(Documentary)
Synopsis: Four young Polynesian football players struggle to overcome gang violence and poverty as they enter the high-stakes world of recruiting, competitive athletics and family pressures.
Directors: Tony Vainuku, Erika Cohn
Buyer: Relativity Sports
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Misery Loves Comedy
(Documentary)
Synopsis: Do you have to be miserable to be funny? Children cry, “Hey, look at me,” but who turns that into a profession? Over 50 funny people share pain-filled insights from a life in pursuit of laughter.
Director: Kevin Pollak
Writer: Kevin Pollak, John Varhous
Cast: Tom Hanks, Larry David, Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon, Judd Apatow, Jim Gaffigan, Martin Short
Buyer: Tribeca
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Dreamcatcher
(Documentary)
Synopsis: On the West Side of Chicago at 3:00am, a van with the words “Dreamcatcher Foundation” emblazoned across the side cruises through the dimly lit streets. The two women inside are Brenda Myers-Powell and Stephanie Daniels-Wilson, survivors of the sex trade. The van slows down as they approach a young girl. Brenda leans out and calls, “Hey pretty, do you need some condoms?” This opening scene takes you immediately into the sharp end of the world of Dreamcatcher. Brenda became a prostitute as a teenager, developed a drug addiction, and years later came out the other side. Her experience, combined with her irresistible personality, puts her in a unique position to help other trafficked women reclaim their lives. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none.
Director: Kim Longinotto
Buyer: Showtime Networks
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