Drafthouse Films Descends Into 'GRACELAND'

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Drafthouse Films, the film distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, announced today their acquisition of North American rights to breakout crime thriller GRACELAND. A riveting and unpredictable Filipino crime saga, GRACELAND thrusts viewers into the corrupt underbelly of the Philippines' capital, exposing a world of deceit, exploitation, and startling depravity. Written and directed by Ron Morales, a veteran of MICHAEL CLAYTON and THE DEPARTED, this "lean and breathless thriller" (Complex Magazine) depicts a desperate man's infinite moral compromises amidst a tale of kidnapping gone horribly wrong. A limited theatrical and VOD release is planned for 2013. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101007/DA78674LOGO)

To fully realize his uncompromised vision of Manila's corrupt underworld, Morales largely financed his passion project with support from friends, family, and crowd-funding via Kickstarter. GRACELAND made its world premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival in the Cinemania section where it received an audience award and stalwart praise from critics. Gabe Toro of Indiewire called it "mesmerizing," while Twitch says GRACELAND is "twisted enough to keep even the most seasoned thriller aficionado second guessing up to the end." The film is set to have its Texas Premiere at this year's Fantastic Fest, running September 20 - 27.

"Our primary goal at Drafthouse Films is to search the globe for the greatest storytellers and breakout talent to expose to like-minded fans," says Drafthouse Films CEO Tim League. "Last year we championed Michael Roskam's BULLHEAD to an Oscar® nomination, and this year we have our sights on Ron Morales' GRACELAND."

"GRACELAND is a challenging, uncompromising film," says writer/director Morales, "and we're overjoyed that Drafthouse has chosen to add it to their stellar lineup of boundary-pushing titles. Their willingness to take a stand for edgy, powerful cinema proved to be the perfect match for us, and we're deeply honored to partner with them on this project."

The deal was negotiated by James Emanuel Shapiro on behalf of Drafthouse Films and Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films on behalf of the film's producer Rebecca Lundgren.

For more information on GRACELAND and Drafthouse Films:
http://drafthousefilms.com  
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http://facebook.com/drafthousefilms  
http://youtube.com/drafthousefilms

About GRACELAND

Intense and unpredictable, Graceland is the story of family man Marlon Villar, the longtime chauffeur of Manuel Chango a corrupt Filipino politician.  One afternoon, while he and his daughter accompany the politician's daughter home, their car is ambushed in a kidnapping attempt.  During the confusion of the ambush, the kidnapping goes horribly wrong and the wrong girl is taken and held for ransom.  Marlon is determined to save his daughter, but between the conflicting motives of the kidnappers and Chango, Marlon is forced into a terrible downward spiral.  As events unfold, Marlon, Chango, and their families are forced into a game of deceit and betrayal that will leave no one innocent.   

About Drafthouse Films

Drafthouse Films, the distribution arm of Alamo Drafthouse, debuted in 2010 with the theatrical release of FOUR LIONS and was named one of Time Magazine's "Top 10 Films Of The Year." Drafthouse Films is dedicated to scouring the globe in search of visionary, provocative and diverse features to integrate into the ever-growing Alamo Drafthouse entertainment lifestyle brand, which along with the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas includes: Mondo, the collectible art boutique; Fantastic Fest, the largest international genre film festival in the US; and the pop culture website Badass Digest. Drafthouse Films will distribute films theatrically and through home video, VOD and direct to consumer sales. The 2012 release slate includes Michael R. Roskam's Best Foreign Language Film nominee BULLHEAD, the internationally acclaimed comedy KLOWN, Sundance '12 favorites THE AMBASSADOR and bizarro surreal comedy WRONG, and the landmark Australian thriller WAKE IN FRIGHT. Together with producing partners Magnolia Pictures and Timpson Films, Drafthouse Films is also currently in production on the much-anticipated THE ABC's OF DEATH -- an anthology film featuring segments by 26 different directors that Fangoria calls, "a stunning roll call of some of the most exciting names in horror across the world."

SOURCE Drafthouse Films