Gravitas Ventures Acquires ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’, Catches ‘Balloon Man’; ‘When Today Ends’ Gets Kandoo Films Release – Film Briefs
Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American distribution rights to Goodbye, Butterfly, the directorial and screenwriting debut of Tyler Wayne. The neo-noir psychological thriller will get a theatrical day-and-date release January 15, 2021.
Adam Donshik stars as Ryan, a loving family man whose 5-year-old daughter is murdered. When the police investigation hits a dead end, he has a chance encounter with an oddball neighbor named Stan (Andy Lauer) and becomes convinced he is the killer. After the police ignore his suspicions, Ryan’s obsession with Stan quickly turns violent. It begs the question: Just how far would you go for justice? Marie Burke, Angela Sauer, Addison Ross, Jennifer Adams and Jeremy London also star.
“A thirst for retributive justice is a base human drive in the face of tragedy,” Gravitas Ventures’ Megan Huggins said. “Filmmaker Tyler Wayne has taken this and run with it, creating a taut, morally nuanced thriller that keeps you guessing to the end.”
The film, an Artman Cooper and FT3 Mediaworks joint production, is produced by Artisha Mann Cooper, Jonathan J. Cooper, Keema Mingo, Mindy D. Marin produced the pic, which was executive produced by Juniano Chen and Wayne. Cooper and Huggins negotiated the deal.
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Kandoo Films has acquired worldwide rights to When Today Ends, written and directed by Michael Leoni. Gavin Leatherwood (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Jacqi Venè, Derick Breezee, Logan Garretson and Angel Guadalupe star in the drama, which will be released on digital platforms February 9.
The plot centers on four teenagers who post their deepest, darkest secrets and stories online using the hashtag #WhenTodayEnds but have no idea the extent of their impact or how their stories will intersect. Collapsing under the pressures of bullying, depression and self-identity, their lives slowly unravel, revealing the tragic connection that binds them together. Mark A. Burley and Kandoo’s Howard Barish are executive producers of the pic, which had a sneak preview screening earlier this month at Filmocracy Fest. (See the trailer below.)
“It is my hope that when people see When Today Ends they gain a new perspective, but more importantly put a face behind the statistics,” Leoni said. “I believe that social media was created to connect us all, but it has disconnected us, and I hope that this film will bring us back together.”
Here’s the trailer:
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Gravitas Ventures has acquired Balloon Man, the documentary feature from Chantal Potter in her writing and directorial debut. The film follows Potter’s father, the ex-NFL player Bill Costen, who became the world’s first African American Hot-Air Balloon Master Pilot. The film hits VOD on February 2.
“From the year I was born, I was flying with my father and I am honored to be able to tell his incredible story,” said Potter. “When I began the journey of producing this film, I not only wanted to open a gateway into the experience of the art, skill, and business of ballooning but also the endeavors of a man who gave the word flight an entirely new meaning. I hope that by sharing my father’s story, a generation will be inspired to live authentically and reach their full potential.”
Costen and Potter executive produced the film with co-executive producer Joe Young. Brandon Potter, Michael Taylor and Capella Fahoome are producers. The deal was negotiated by Gravitas’ Brett Rogalsky and Brendan Gallagher with Potter on behalf of her Made For T.V. Productions.
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