Grace Glowicki’s unconventional 16mm-shot romance, Dead Lover, has been secured for North American distribution by Cartuna and Dweck Productions, operating under their new collaborative initiative, Cartuna x Dweck. The deal comes on the heels of the film’s selection at SXSW, following its debut at Sundance in January.
James Belfer, founder and CEO of Cartuna, expressed strong belief in the film’s place in an emerging creative movement. “We firmly believe that we are at the early stages of a historic creative movement,” Belfer said. “Inventive, boundary-pushing storytellers need more distribution support now than ever. This collective of producers has opted to take matters into our own hands, and it’s our sincere hope that it will inspire others to do the same.”
Hannah Dweck, owner and co-founder of Dweck Productions, also praised the film’s originality and the partnership’s goals. “What Grace and her collaborators have dug up from their creative depths is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and we are so honored to be a part of this infinitely imaginative team,” Dweck remarked. “We can’t wait to set this exuberantly unrestrained, disgusting, beautiful, smelly, exhumed corpse of a rom-com loose on the world!”
This acquisition represents a major milestone for Cartuna’s growing film distribution arm. Last year, the company released the Blu-ray of the slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers, which has sold over 10,000 copies. Dead Lover marks Cartuna’s first all-rights acquisition and the inaugural title under their partnership with Dweck Productions. Kurt Ravenwood, partner at SRH agency and producer of Hundreds of Beavers, will provide marketing strategy for the film.
Written, directed, and starring Glowicki, Dead Lover is a prosthetics-driven horror-comedy about a solitary, grimy gravedigger who reanimates her lover using a severed finger. Co-written and co-starring Ben Petrie, the film first premiered in the Midnight section at Sundance and went on to screen at SXSW, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and the Göteborg Film Festival. Upcoming screenings are scheduled for the Overlook Film Festival and the Los Angeles Festival of Movies.
“We feel touched by kismet to be working with Cartuna X Dweck!” said Glowicki in a statement. “Individually, both companies are stalwart champions of independent voices in cinema, and we’re in love with their vision for a united superfront putting out movies with a fresh, individualized approach. Ben, Yona, and I are thrilled to be putting our brains together with them on rolling out Dead Lover!”
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick of Yellow Veil Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers and James Belfer for Cartuna x Dweck.
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