Demetri Martin Tribeca Winner ‘Dean’ Scores CBS Films Deal

EXCLUSIVE: CBS Films has acquired U.S. rights to Dean, the comedy written by, directed and starring Demetri Martin that just bowed at the Tribeca Film Festival and took the award for Best Narrative Feature. Kevin Kline, Gillian Jacobs, Mary Steenburgen and Reid Scott co-star and the film was produced by Giles Andrew, Elliott Watson and Jessica Latham. CAA brokered the deal, which we’re hearing was for $1 million, on the ground at the fest.

The pic centers on Dean (Martin), a New York illustrator who falls hard for an L.A. woman (Jacobs) while trying to prevent his father (Kline) from selling the family home in the wake of his mother’s death. This is comedian-actor Martin’s directorial debut.

Said the Tribeca jury upon awarding Dean yesterday: “It manages the near impossible task of breathing new life into a well-worn genre, balancing humor and pathos with an incredibly deft touch, and offering a unique perspective on the way we process loss.”

Martin is repped by UTA and Mosaic.