Fox Searchlight Acquires Matthew Puccini’s ‘Lavender’ Short Film
Sundance 2019: Film will be available on social media channels
Brian Welk | January 25, 2019 @ 11:46 AM
Last Updated: January 25, 2019 @ 12:07 PM
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired the short film “Lavender,” which screened as part of the Shorts Program at the Sundance Film Festival, chairmen Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula and EVP, global acquisition & co-prod, TCF acquisitions Ray Strache announced Friday.
“Lavender” is written and directed by Matthew Puccini. The film will be available on Fox Searchlight social media channels.
“Lavender” follows the story of a young gay man as he develops a complicated relationship with an older married couple. It is a tender, poignant look at an unconventional relationship as it blossoms and ultimately unravels.
The film stars Michael Urie, Michael Hsu Rosen, and Ken Barnett. Urie and Rosen recently starred in the Broadway production of Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song.” Barnett recently starred in the Tony Award-winning “Fun Home.”
“Lavender” is produced by Casey Bader, Tyler Rabinowitz and Corey Deckler. “Lavender” was supported by the Creative Culture program at the Jacob Burns Film Center and was executive produced by Jason Michael Berman, Sam Abbas and Natalé Olsen.
“We are always looking for fresh filmmaking talents, and the short film world led us to a talented director in Matthew Puccini,” said Utley and Gilula in a statement. “Matthew’s film ‘Lavender’ is a work of great beauty and resonance, and showcases a personal voice from and about the LGBTQ community. We enthusiastically welcome him to the Searchlight family of filmmakers.”
Puccini is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His short films have screened at Sundance, SXSW and Palm Springs and have been featured on Topic, Short of the Week, Indiewire and The Huffington Post, amongst others. He is a 2018 Sundance Ignite Fellow, a member of the 2017 New York Film Festival Artist Academy and a Creative Culture Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center.
“I’m so thrilled that ‘Lavender’ has found a home at Fox Searchlight. It means so much that they have taken an interest in supporting emerging filmmakers, and I feel particularly lucky that this film is reflective of the queer space I hope to continue to work in,” Puccini said in a statement. “It was an incredible experience working with queer talent in front of and behind the camera and we could not feel more grateful that it has resulted in this wonderful opportunity with such an amazing studio.”
Fox Searchlight is in flux with its impending acquisition by Disney. Their 2019 slate includes “The Aftermath,” “Tolkien,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Lucy in the Sky,” “Wendy,” “Antlers,” “Ready or Not” and “Downhill.”
15 Buzziest Sundance Movies: From Shia LaBeouf's 'Honey Boy' to 'Leaving Neverland' (Photos)
Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).
"After the Wedding"
Filmmaker Bart Freundlich has enlisted esteemed actresses Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams to lead this adaptation of Danish director Susanne Bier's Oscar-winning film of the same name. After being invited to the wedding of Theresa’s (Moore) daughter, Isabel (Williams) discovers a connection to Theresa that takes her on an unexpected journey into her own past.
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"Clemency"
Alfre Woodard stars as the warden of a maximum-security prison, who, after striking up a bond with an inmate, is confronted with the complex and often contradictory relationship between good intentions and unrequited desires.
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"Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile"
Almost two years in the making, Joe Berlinger's take on the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is finally hitting the big screen. Zac Efron stars as Bundy, and the film will be told from the perspective of Bundy’s longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth, who went years denying the accusations against him, but ultimately turned him into the police. Lily Collins plays Elizabeth. The film also stars Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment and Kaya Scodelario.
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"Honey Boy"
Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this film, based on his childhood and his relationship with his father. Directed by Alma Har'el, "Honey Boy" also stars Lucas Hedges, FKA Twigs and Noah Jupe.
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"Imaginary Order"
If you want to feel uncomfortable yet completely fascinated by a film, "Imaginary Order" is the one for you. It follows a suburban mom, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, who makes mistake after mistake and her psyche crumbles in the aftermath.
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"Knock Down the House"
Documentaries continue to be huge, and this one details the struggles and meteoric rise of young Puerto Rican bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the Bronx to toppling incumbents in an electric primary race for Congress.
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"Leaving Neverland"
Described as gut-wrenching, this documentary uses interviews with the now-adult men and their families of those who have accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse to craft a portrait of one of the world's most celebrated icons. HBO will release this doc in the spring.
Sundance Institute
"Native Son"
Renowned African-American history and culture visual artist Rashid Johnson and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks craft a contemporary reworking of Richard Wright’s 1940 novel, bringing its interrogation of fear, violence, race and circumstance into a critical modern context. A24 is the distributor.
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"The Great Hack"
In 2018, Facebook came under fire many times for its use and misuse of users' personal data. That was never more apparent than the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data breach that this doc explores. Netflix will distribute this documentary.
Sundance Institute
"The Report"
Hot off his awards run for "BlacKkKlansman," Adam Driver is back in "The Report" alongside Jon Hamm, Jennifer Morrison and Maura Tierney. The film, directed by Scott Z. Burns, follows CIA agents and their interrogation tactics in the quest to find those behind the 9/11 attacks.
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"Untouchable"
Harvey Weinstein, both in his rise and in his monstrous fall, changed Hollywood forever. "Untouchable" explores how he acquired and deployed his formidable power over the course of decades.
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"Velvet Buzzsaw"
"Nightcrawler" director Dan Gilroy reunited with Jake Gyllenhaal for the high-art thriller "Velvet Buzzsaw," which also stars Rene Russo, Toni Collette and Natalia Dyer. Netflix will distribute this movie.
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"The Farewell"
Awkwafina, one of the breakout stars of 2018, stars in this film about a family that opts not to tell their beloved matriarch about her lung cancer diagnosis, instead scheduling an impromptu wedding-reunion back in China. The film is based on director Lulu Wang's true story she told on NPR's popular podcast, "This American Life."
Sundance Institute
"Luce"
This psychological drama stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts. It follows a couple that is forced to reevaluate the image of their adopted son after his high school teacher finds something alarming in his locker.
Sundance Institute
"Brittany Runs a Marathon"
Jillian Bell leads the cast of this comedy that follows a young New Yorker who discovers she has elevated blood pressure and a high heart rate. Soon, she starts running, and increases her distance by a mile a day. Buyers have expressed interest in this inspirational yet entertaining tale.
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Sundance 2019: Film fanatics will brave the cold to see these hot films in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).