Cartuna x Dweck, the new distribution venture formed by Cartuna and Dweck Productions, has acquired North American rights to Grace Glowicki’s Dead Lover following screenings at SXSW.
This is the first all-rights buy from the new company, which plans a theatrical release and aims to champion bold visions and emerging voices. The deal comes less than two weeks after Oscar-winning Anora director Sean Baker issued a clarion call urging support of independent filmmaking and the theatre-going experience.
Cartuna launched a distribution arm last year and found success with the Sitges and Morbido slapstick fantasy comedy Hundreds Of Beavers, which grossed more than $600,000 in North America and more than $1m worldwide.
Dweck Productions has notched up independent credits including Jane Shoenbrun’s We’re All Going To The World Fair and Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point.
The acquisition marks a full circle moment for Glowicki, whose feature debut Tito premiere at SXSW in 2019. Dead Lover follows a lonely gravedigger who meets the love of her life played by Ben Petrie and goes to great lengths to resurrect him after he drowns at sea.
Glowicki and Petrie co-wrote the screenplay and served as producers with Yona Strauss. Matthew Miller, Olivia Nieuwland, Lexi Tannenholtz, and Rhianon Jones and Tristan Scott Behrends of Neon Heart Productions are the executive producers. The cast includes Leah Doz and Lowen Morrow.
Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick of Yellow Veil Pictures negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers with Cartuna founder and CEO James Belfer forCartuna x Dweck. Kurt Ravenwood, a partner at SRH and producer of Hundreds Of Beavers, will work with Cartuna x Dweck on the marketing strategy for Dead Lover.
“We firmly believe that we are at the early stages of a historic creative movement,” said Belfer. “Inventive, boundary-pushing storytellers need more distribution support now than ever. This collective of producers has opted to take matters into our own hands and it’s our sincere hope that it will inspire others to do the same.”
Hannah Dweck, owner and co-founder of Dweck Productions added: “What Grace and her collaborators have dug up from their creative depths is like nothing I’ve ever seen before and we are so honoured to be a part of this infinitely imaginative team.”
“We feel touched by kismet to be working with Cartuna X Dweck! Individually, both companies are stalwart champions of independent voices in cinema, and we’re in love with their vision for a united superfront putting out movies with a fresh, individualized approach. Ben, Yona, and I are thrilled to be putting our brains together with them on rolling out Dead Lover!“ said Grace Glowicki
Cartuna has been assembling a slate of films for distribution and will announce forthcomng titles later this year.
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