These are the movies sold at Sundance 2016. Many of the films that premiere at the Sundance Film Festival are hoping to attract a distributor and find a bigger audience, be it in theaters around the country or distributed through digital VOD. Throughout the festival we will be reporting on all of the movies sold at Sundance 2016. This list should help give you an idea about which movies may someday be available to you either theatrically of VOD. We’re including photo stills from each of the films along with all of the relevant information (director, cast, how much it sold for, the plot synopsis and more). Hit the jump to find out which movies sold at Sundance 2016.
Latest update: Pre-fest acquisitions include Netflix picking up the SVOD rights to Talulah starring Ellen Page & Allison Janney, Fundamentals of Caring starring Paul Rudd & Selena Gomez, The Complete Unknown starring Rachel Weisz & Michael Shannon, the Iranian horror film Under the Shadow, the buzz-worthy documentary Weiner got picked up by IFC (theatrical) and Showtime (TV), Israeli film Sand Storm sold to Beta Cinema, and Anna Rose Holmer’s The Fits.
Previous update: This is the first of probably many updates.
Movies Sold At Sundance 2016 Distributor Breakdown
- Amazon: Complete Unknown
- Beta Cinema: Sand Storm
- IFC: Weiner
- Oscilloscope Laboratories: The Fits
- Netflix: Tallulah (sVOD), Fundamentals of Caring (sVOD), Under the Shadow
- Showtime: Weiner (television)
These Movies Sold at Sundance 2016
We will be updating this post with 2016 Sundance Film Festival acquisitions throughout the festival. The post is organized from newest to oldest, with the latest acquisitions on the top.
Tallulah
Acquired: January 12th (pre-fest)
By: Netflix (Subscription VOD rights only)
Purchase Price: Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but insiders pegged the price as being in the mid-seven figures.
Director: Sian Heder (WGA-nominated writer and producer for Orange Is the New Black)
Starring: Ellen Page, Allison Janney, Tammy Blanchard, Evan Jonigkeit, Uzo Aduba
Other Info: Theatrical rights still open.
Plot Synopsis:
A free spirited young woman rescues a toddler from her reckless mother in this dramatic comedy about the unpredictability of life.
Fundamentals of Caring
Acquired: January 15th (pre-fest)
By: Netflix (Worldwide Subscription VOD rights only)
Purchase Price: The deal is pegged at nearly $7 million
Director: Rob Burnett (former producer of The Late Show With David Letterman)
Starring: Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Ehle, Megan Ferguson, Frederick Weller
Other Info: The movie will premiere as the fest’s Closing-Night Film. Theatrical rights still open.
Plot Synopsis:
Having suffered a tragedy, Ben becomes a caregiver to earn money. His first client, Trevor, is a hilarious 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor hit the road, finding hope, friendship, and Dot in this funny and touching inspirational tale.
Complete Unknown
Acquired: January 19th (pre-fest)
By: Amazon (US rights)
Purchase Price: N/A
Director: Joshua Marston (Maria Full of Grace)
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover, Michael Chernus
Other Info:
Plot Synopsis:
When Tom (Michael Shannon) and his wife host a dinner party to celebrate his birthday, one of their guests brings an intriguing date named Alice (Rachel Weisz). Tom is convinced he knows her, but she refuses to acknowledge their past history. When Alice makes a hasty exit, Tom follows her down the rabbit hole and into the night, where they explore the freedom to shed one’s skin in the anonymity of the big city. What ensues is an all-night odyssey with two characters, one needing to make a change in his life, the other questioning how to stop changing.
Under The Shadow
Acquired: January 21st (pre-fest)
By: Netflix (VOD)
Purchase Price: N/A
Director: first-time filmmaker Babak Anvar
Starring: Narges Rashid, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, Arash Marandi
Other Info: The movie will premiere as part of the Midnight program. It is set to debut globally on Netflix later this year, shortly after a theatrical or alternative-platform release. The film’s theatrical rights have yet to be acquired.
Plot Synopsis:
In 1988 Tehran, Shideh’s attempts to rejoin medical school after getting married and having daughter Dorsa are thwarted as a consequence of her politically active history. Her husband is sent off to serve in the Iran-Iraq War while Iraqi air raids draw perilously close to their own apartment. As she is left alone with Dorsa after neighbors and friends flee from a city in chaos, her daughter becomes increasingly ill and seemingly disturbed. Shideh initially dismisses Dorsa’s tantrums over a missing doll, but she reluctantly comes to suspect that they’ve been targeted by djinn—malevolent spirits that steal from those they seek to possess.
The Fits
Acquired: January 19th (pre-fest)
By: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Purchase Price: N/A
Director: Anna Rose Holmer
Starring: Royalty Hightower, Makyla Burnam, Inayah Rodgers
Other Info: Part of the NEXT Competition.
Plot Synopsis:
Tomboy boxer Toni (newcomer Royalty Hightower) lands a spot on an after school dance team in the West End community of Cincinnati. Enamored by the power and confidence of the team, Toni eagerly absorbs routines, masters drills, and even pierces her own ears to fit in. As she discovers the joys of dance and of female camaraderie, she grapples with her individual identity amid her newly defined social sphere. Shortly after Toni joins the team, the captain faints during practice. By the end of the week, most of the girls on the team suffer from episodes of fainting, swooning, moaning, and shaking in a seemingly uncontrollable catharsis. Triggered by her own insecurities, Toni questions the cause of “the fits.” Soon, however, the girls on the team embrace these mystical spasms, transforming them into a rite of passage. Toni fears experiencing the fits, but also fears losing her new friendships as a result of remaining left out of the transcendental experience. She has to decide how far she needs to go to maintain her niche on the team.
Sand Storm
Acquired: January 11th (pre-fest)
By: Beta Cinema
Purchase Price: N/A
Director: Elite Zexer (first time director)
Starring: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Haytham Omari, Khadija Alakel, Jalal Masarwa
Other Info: Arabic-language film, set to world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Plot Synopsis:
As wedding festivities get underway in a Bedouin village in Israel, Jalila finds herself in the awkward position of hosting her husband Suliman’s marriage to a second, much younger wife. During the celebration, Jalila stumbles across her eldest daughter Layla’s involvement with a boy from her university—a strictly forbidden liaison that would shame the family. Burying the indignity of Suliman and his new bride living next door, Jalila also tries to contain Layla’s situation by clamping down on her. But younger and possessed of a boundless spirit, Layla sees a different life for herself.
Weiner
Acquired: January 14th (pre-fest)
By: IFC and Showtime
Purchase Price: N/A
Director: Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg
Starring: Anthony Weiner
Other Info: The buzz worthy doc will premiere on January 24th at the fest as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition. The film will go out through IFC’s Sundance Selects label and be released on May 20, and will later make its worldwide TV debut in the fall on Showtime.
Plot Synopsis:
With unprecedented access to Anthony Weiner, as he mounts his New York City mayoral campaign, WEINER is a thrilling look inside his impending political meltdown. What begins as an unexpected comeback from being a disgraced ex-congressman takes a sharp turn once Weiner is forced to admit to new sexting allegations. As the media descends and dissects his every move, Weiner desperately tries to forge ahead, but the increasing pressure and crippling 24-hour news coverage halt his political aspirations dead in their tracks. WEINER teeters the line between political farce and personal tragedy. With the city of New York as a loud and bustling backdrop, this documentary charges through an increasingly baffling political campaign with unflinching clarity, humor, and pathos. 100 m.
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