Ira Sachs Sundance Drama ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ Acquired by Sideshow and Janus Films

The movie starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall will be distributed in North America this fall

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Ben Whishaw appears in "Peter Hujar's Day" by Ira Sachs (Sundance)

“Peter Hujar’s Day” has found a home.

The film, written and directed by Ira Sachs and starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, where it quickly became one of the most buzzed-about titles. On Tuesday, Sideshow and Janus Films revealed they have since acquired the North American rights for the film.

Sideshow and Janus Films are eying a fall theatrical release for the movie. SBS is handling international sales for the film, with a deal negotiated by Sideshow and Janus Films with WME Independent. It will next screen at the Berlinale in Panorama.

“Peter Hujar’s Day” was produced by Jordan Drake and Jonah Disend, and co-produced by Fred Burle and Aaron Craig. The film is a Complementary Colors, Blink Productions & Primo Content Presentation in association with We Are Films & Materia Cinema, and a Jordan Drake & One Two Films Production based on the book “Peter Hujar’s Day” by Linda Rosenkrantz, who Hall plays in the film.

In an official statement, Sachs said, “Sideshow and Janus Films represent a commitment to the kind of cinema that has meant the most to me, as audience and as filmmaker.” He continued, “To be a part of their future makes me feel both young and old, and full of hope both for this film and for the movies.”

Additionally, Sideshow and Janus Films commented, “Our team fell in love with ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ immediately. With its deceptively minimal premise, Ira Sachs has crafted a deeply profound, major work. This film illustrates the way we live in the past and present, pondering the mysterious, remarkable nature of time. ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ lingers with a magical, unprecedented sense of what storytelling on film can be. Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall deliver career performances. We could not be more excited to work with Ira and his producer Jordan Drake to bring this unforgettable film into the world this fall.”

The movie is based on a conversation that was recorded in 1974 between photographer Hujar and writer Rosenkrantz. Hujar was recounting a day in his life and his tale is littered with references to some of the biggest cultural figures of the time. (It also includes some wonderful details about the banality of being a working artist.) The movie itself is set entirely in Rosenkrantz’s Manhattan apartment — it is a singularly engrossing experience. You’ll be hanging on every word.

Together, Sideshow and Janus films have released Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning “Drive My Car,” the Oscar-nominated “EO” and currently have Best Animated Feature nominee, “Flow.” Upcoming releases include David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds” and Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Cloud.”

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