Miramax has partnered with White Space Entertainment to manage its film portfolio in the consumer product space starting with “Pulp Fiction,” Variety has learned exclusively.
“Miramax and their iconic films resonate across many audiences,” said Stephanie Sperber, CEO of White Space Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to kicking things off with a celebration of ‘Pulp Fiction’s’ 25th anniversary aimed at fans, collectors and film buffs.”
“Stephanie and her team are world-class,” said Miramax CEO Bill Block. “We are excited to have them as partners as we expand our global consumer products business, leveraging our unparalleled library titles as well as our new projects.”
White Space Entertainment exec VP Amy Taylor, who will lead strategic development for the account, said in a statement, “We couldn’t be more excited to launch a strategic consumer products business for these groundbreaking movies with longtime fans and new ones.”
Miramax did not specify what products would emerge from the partnership. The company was sold by its private equity owners in 2016 to beIN Media Group, which owns 100% of the company. BeIN Media Group is a subsidiary of Qatar’s Al Jazeera. Miramax has a library consisting of nearly 800 titles from the late 1980s to the present.
Miramax was founded in 1979 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, and was sold to the Walt Disney Company in 1993 — by which time, it had transformed the independent film scene by producing such titles as “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” and “The Crying Game.” During its 17 years as a Disney label, Miramax’s titles included “Pulp Fiction,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “Good Will Hunting.”
AWARD
The HollyShorts Film Festival is teaming up with Impossible Dream Entertainment on a prize for one of the winners at the festival, which takes place Aug. 8-17, Variety has learned exclusively.
Impossible Dream will select one of the 2019 winning shorts for a development deal with the company. The company is led by Shaun Redick, who has producing credits on “Get Out” and “BlacKkKlansman,” and Yvette Yates Redick.
“Year after year, HollyShorts Film Festival continues to showcase and introduce to the entertainment industry exciting new talent and we look forward to collaborating with the winner of this quindecennial competitive selection,” the duo said.
The HollyShorts 2018 best short film winners Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman took home the Oscar this year in the best short live action category for “Skin” while HollyShorts best director winner Rayka Zehtabchi won the Oscar for best short documentary for “Period. End of Sentence.”
FESTIVAL SELECTION
FilmFreeway has entered into an exclusive agreement with the Sundance Institute to handle all projects submitted to the Sundance Film Festival through 2022.
Submissions for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival will officially open on filmfreeway.com on June 3, 2019. Currently, more than 900,000 registered filmmakers use FilmFreeway to submit to nearly 8,000 film festivals and creative contests including AFI Fest, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Student Academy Awards.
“A little over five years ago, as a small startup and even before we wrote a single line of code, we talked of a future where we might someday work with Sundance,” said co-founder Zachary Jones. “To now serve as the exclusive submission service for such a legendary film festival is a dream realized and a true privilege.”
RELEASE DATES
Neon will be releasing Celine Sciamma’s love story “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” on Dec. 6 in Los Angeles and New York for an awards season arthouse release.
The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and won the best screenplay award. Neon and Hulu acquired the North American rights at the festival.
The French-language drama is set at the end of the eighteenth century with a young painter commissioned to paint a portrait of a young woman to be used to elicit marriage proposals.
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Universal Pictures has moved its action-thriller “The Hunt” forward by three weeks to Sept. 27 from Oct. 18.
“The Hunt” stars Emma Roberts, Justin Hartley, Glenn Howerton, Ike Barinholtz, Betty Gilpin and Amy Madigan. Craig Zobel directed from a script by Damon Lindelof and his “The Leftovers” collaborator Nick Cuse.
Jason Blum produces for his Blumhouse Productions, alongside Lindelof for his White Rabbit shingle. Cuse and Zobel executive produce.
[“source=variety”]
