Indie film distributor Ryan Krivoshey of Grasshopper Films will team on a new venture with brand strategist Andy Marks and his eponymous consulting agency.
Krivoshey and Marks, along with Grasshopper Global’s Beata Gutman, will form Grasshopper+Marks, an indie studio that will bring filmmakers and artists together with brands to create issue-based projects.
“When connecting content creators with brands and causes, to produce branded entertainment … everyone wins,” said Marks in a statement, adding that the company’s “emphasis is on quality storytelling and artistry to profoundly move audiences.”
The new company is currently in production on a feature length documentary that it will take on the festival circuit in 2017. Future projects will be developed with nonprofits, foundations and movements.
“What we are looking to do is tell stories in a way that hasn’t been done before,” added Krivoshey. “The aim is to produce work that pushes against itself, work as concerned about artistry as it is about impact, work that resonates across genres, platforms and borders. I can’t think of a more necessary time for such an endeavor.”
As a distribution engine, Grasshopper Films will still handle releases across all platforms.
The Men of Indie Summer: From Freakish to Infatuated (Photos)
The men in this summer's slate of indie films are far from ordinary: Colin Farrell stars as a neurotic in the wonderfully weird romantic comedy "The Lobster" and Daniel Radcliffe is a dead guy in "Swiss Army Man." A young Barack Obama is depicted in "Southside with You" and then there is the lovestruck Jesse Eisenberg in "Café Society."
Click through to see more from The Men of Indie Summer:
A24
Daniel Radcliffe plays a dead man come back to life in the mind of a stranded man (Paul Dano) in the surreal "Swiss Army Man." The adventurous comedy, also with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, debuts in theaters July 1.
A24
Men in this summer's indies are also unafraid to share the screen in female-focused films. Take Ethan Hawke in "Maggie's Plan." He's the married man being bounced around between Greta Gerwig and Julianne Moore. It opens in select theaters May 20.
Sony Pictures Classics
Stephen Fry (center) and Xavier Samuel (left) appear in "Love & Friendship," in select theaters now. Based on the Jane Austen novel, the matchmaking-themed comedy stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny and is an absolute hit with critics, earning a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
Roadside Attractions
"The Lobster" has won raves from critics, featuring Colin Farrell as a nervous man tasked with finding love -- or else he'll turn into the animal of his choosing. The unconventional rom-com, also with Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw, is out now in select theaters.
A24
Jesse Eisenberg stars opposite frequent collaborator Kristen Stewart in Woody Allen's "Café Society," opening in select theaters July 15. In spite of the Cannes Film Festival controversy surrounding Allen, the 1930s-era romantic comedy, also with Blake Lively and Steve Carell, has earned a warm 72 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
Lionsgate
Parker Sawyers proves a strong resemblance in silhouette and mannerism to a pre-presidential Barack Obama, depicted in "Southside with You." The film, in theaters Aug. 26, retraces the first date of the future president and first lady (played by Tika Sumpter) as they traverse the southside of Chicago. And yes, critics like it a lot.
Miramax
Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges star in the Texas-set crime drama "Hell or High Water," about two brothers who hatch a risky plan to save their family's farm. It's set to open Aug. 12.
CBS Films
Forget "Little Women" and get out to see "Little Men," a small-budget comedy with Alfred Molina and Greg Kinnear. The story centers two friends (boys played by newcomers Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri) whose parents battle over a dress shop lease. It opens in select theaters Aug. 5.
Magnolia Pictures
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Small films this summer show men in new light: farcical Colin Farrell, pre-presidential Obama on a date, more
The men in this summer's slate of indie films are far from ordinary: Colin Farrell stars as a neurotic in the wonderfully weird romantic comedy "The Lobster" and Daniel Radcliffe is a dead guy in "Swiss Army Man." A young Barack Obama is depicted in "Southside with You" and then there is the lovestruck Jesse Eisenberg in "Café Society."
Click through to see more from The Men of Indie Summer:
A24
A24
