Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Bitch has been acquired by MPI Media Group and Dark Sky Films, with a US release planned for later this year.
Press Release: New York (May 9, 2017) - MPI Media Group announced today that it has acquired multi-territory rights to BITCH, a dark and unsettling dramedy from writer-director Marianna Palka, who also stars alongside Jason Ritter. The film, which premiered to critical raves at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, is one of the boldest in the growing body of work by new female directors. MPI Media Group will be handling international territory sales of the film in Cannes and will release BITCH domestically under the company's Dark Sky Films banner later this year.
The distribution agreement was negotiated by Nicola Goelzhaeuser, VP of Digital and International Sales at MPI along with Giles Edwards, MPI's Head of Acquisitions and Development, MPI Europe and
Peter Van Steemburg of ICM Partners along with Christopher Tricarico of Tricarico Chavez LLP on behalf of
MarVista Entertainment. The deal covers multi-territory sales rights and U.S. theatrical and digital rights. Nicola Goelzhaeuser will be handling international sales for the film at the upcoming Marché Du Film.Marianna Palka (director of Always Worthy and Good Dick) stars in this stinging feminist provocation about a woman who snaps under the crushing pressures of life and suddenly and shockingly assumes the psyche of a vicious dog. Confronted with this unexplainable but inescapable new reality, Jill's philandering, absentee husband, Bill (Jason Ritter, Parenthood, W.), is forced to quickly become reacquainted with his four children and sister-in-law (Jaime King, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) as they attempt to keep the family together during this bizarre crisis.
Reviewing BITCH upon its premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, Eric Kohn of IndieWire called it "a chilling look at the destruction of the nuclear family with a vivid, snarling vision driven by the propulsive energy of its biting critique." And Meredith Borders of Birth.Movies.Death says, "Bitch won't give you a moment's rest, keeping you anxious and alert until its extremely satisfying and quite lovely conclusion."
Nicola Goelzhaeuser said, "Dark Sky Films continues its commitment to supporting the work of female directors, and Marianna Palka's new film is a brave, uncompromising statement from one of the movement's newest leading voices."
"We at MarVista are thrilled to have Bitch, we are excited about the opportunities MPI will bring with their renowned understanding and expertise in the genre space."
Producer Elijah Wood said," Bitch is a totally unique take on a domestic breakdown - intimate, disturbing, tender and incredibly funny. If 'A Woman Under the Influence' and 'Mr. Mom' had a baby, it would be 'Bitch'."
ABOUT MPI MEDIA GROUP and DARK SKY FILMS
MPI Media Group is a leading producer and distributor of films, television, and more. MPI works with top filmmakers and partners to produce original, director-driven films that enjoy strong festival play and critical acclaim as well as commercial appeal. Recent original productions and co-financing projects include TIFF world premiere
Catfight, Sundance Film Festival selection Tickled, anthology horror Southbound, and Sundance documentary
Call Me Lucky. MPI has co-produced films in the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico and across the United States with partners including Syfy and the New Zealand Film Commission.Dark Sky Films is MPI's genre division dedicated to the production and distribution of new and innovative horror and elevated genre films from filmmakers around the world. Representing films from some of the most talented directors working today, such as Ti West's The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers, and Jim Mickle's Stake Land, Dark Sky continues to identify original talent and projects to bring a vibrant slate of titles to the world market. Dark Sky's most recent, highly successful releases include Catfight, Emelie, We Are Still Here, and Deathgasm.
MPI International is part of established US independent producer and distributor MPI Media Group, parent company to the popular genre label Dark Sky Films. MPI's international division is active in sales, financing and co-productions.
ABOUT MARVISTA ENTERTAINMENT
Founded in 2003, Los Angeles-based MarVista Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment studio that produces, acquires and distributes premium film and television content worldwide. With a library showcasing nearly 2,500 hours of content, and with approximately 40 new movies per year added to the company's distribution pipeline, MarVista has become one of the largest suppliers of movies to the worldwide marketplace. MarVista has an expansive distribution footprint spanning more than 125 global territories, and has grown to become a pre-eminent supplier of programming to major cable networks in the U.S., including Disney Channel/Disney XD, Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, NBC Universal, Nickelodeon and MTV Networks, as well as key international broadcasters, cable networks and digital platforms. MarVista's recent projects include Bitch, the first film in their partnership with Elijah Wood's Company X/Spectrevision that premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival; and Rebel, the dramatic series from executive producer John Singleton currently airing on BET.ABOUT COMPANY X
Company was formed by partners Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller and Lisa Whalen to apply the high ideals associated with independent films to larger, more commercial fare. Their first title, Bitch, premiered at Sundance 2017 to great acclaim. Company X's genre label, SpectreVision produced A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Cooties, Open Windows, The Boy and the cult hit, The Greasy Strangler, earning them spots at the most prestigious festivals in the world, as well as numerous awards and nominations. Upcoming Company X productions include Joe Dante's Roger Corman biopic, The Man With Kaleidoscope Eyes, and a supernatural thriller shot and set on the historic Queen Mary. Outside of the feature arena, they have series in development at Sony and Cartoon Network, a partnership with Ubisoft to create virtual reality content, and a text-based mobile game called "Dispatch" releasing summer 2017.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
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