‘Puerto Ricans In Paris’ Gets U.S. Release From Focus World; ‘Rock In The Red Zone’ To Rock U.S. In November

Wirter-Director Ian Edelman’s Puerto Ricans In Paris will soon be in the states, as Focus World has picked up all U.S. rights to the comedy. Written by Ian Edelman and Neel Shah, the film follows two New York counterfeit detectives investigating the stolen design for a highly sought after bag made by a famous fashion designer. Heading to Paris, the bickering duo hope to crack the case and collect a huge reward in the process.

Premiering earlier this summer at the 2015 LA Film Fest, Puerto Ricans In Paris stars Luis Guzmán, Edgar Garcia, Alice Taglioni, Miriam Shor, Frédéric Anscombe, with Rosario Dawson and Rosie Perez. It’s produced by Joseph Zolfo and executive produced by Armando Christian Pérez AKA Pitbull, with co-executive producer David Ortiz. The deal was negotiated by SVP of Focus World Anjay Nagpal, with Focus Features’ EVP of Business Affairs Beth Lemberger, and Focus Features’ VP of Business Affairs Gene Kang on behalf of the studio, and UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers.

Edelman is the creator of How To Make It In America, which ran two seasons on HBO, and is currently developing a one hour drama for NBC with with 20th Century Fox and Imagine Entertainment, and The Word Star Hip Hop movie at Paramount.

The Documentary Rock In The Red Zone is coming to U.S. theaters next month courtesy of Abramorama, the company announced today. The documentary chronicles the experience of filmmaker Laura Bialis, who in the Israeli city of Sderot encounters a creative community that captivates her to love and changes the course of her life. The city of factory workers and rock musicians – the children of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East, despite being pummeled for years by homemade rockets, persevere, enjoying raucous Moroccan celebrations, embracing newcomers while creating a unique Sderot musical sound that has transformed Israeli music by injecting Middle Eastern influences into Western Rock.

The film will open on November 12 in New York, followed by Los Angeles December 2, with additional cities to follow. Rock In The Red Zone features the people and the musicians of Sderot, including Avi Vaknin, Robby Elmaliah, Hagit Yaso (who won the Kohav Nolad TV competition, a show based on the British Pop Idol) and Micha Biton, as well as the music of Kobi Oz & The Teapacks, Knesiyat Hasechel, Sfatayim, Micha Biton and Avi Vaknin. Bialis wrote and directed the film, and produced it along with Elana Horwich, Korelan Matteson and Ravit Markus. Her previous films include Refusenik, View from the Bridge: Stories from Kosovo, and Tak for Alt: Survival of a Human Spirit.