US Briefs: Jessica Chastain named Spirit Awards honourary chair

Jessica Chastain will serve as honourary chair at Film Independent’s Spirit Awards this year. Chastain was nominated for a Spirit Award for Take Shelter (2012) and A Most Violent Year (2015). John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen will present the 2016 nominees on November 24.

• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment top brass on Tuesday announced the studio’s first releases in the 4K Ultra HD Disc format that features four times the resolution of HD and includes high dynamic range. The discs will arrive in early 2016 and include The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express and The Smurfs 2.
  
  
• HBO Documentary Films has acquired US TV rights to Body Team 12 directed by RYOT co-founder David Darg. The film won the Tribeca Film Festival award for best documentary short and was nominated for an International Documentary Association award for best short. It will air on HBO in February 2016.
  
  
• Archstone Distribution has signed an output deal with DeInstitutionalized at the AFM to assemble a slate of films starting in early 2016. DeInstitutionalized will co-produce and Archstone will handle distribution.
  
  
• Vertical Entertainment has picked up North American rights from CAA to Nick Simon’s Toronto Midnight Madness entry The Girl In The Photographs and plans a 2016 theatrical release. Highland Film Group represents international sales at the AFM. The film marked the last credit of the late Wes Craven, who served as executive producer.
  
  
• Films rights marketplace Digital Film Cloud Network has released its application service that enables users to locate and apply for financing and other services. The new DFCN service has been integrated with BondIt.
  
  
• Timur Bekmambetov is producing Marja-Lewis Ryan’s dramatic play A Good Family with an eye to adapting it into a feature. The production explores the impact of a rape allegation on a family’s Christmas celebration and runs from November 27th at The Lounge Theater in Hollywood.