Altitude Boards The Mystery Of DB Cooper Goldfinch, GSP Studios Merge

Altitude has come aboard to handle international sales on The Mystery Of DB Cooper, helmed by John Dower (My Scientology Movie, Live Forever, Thriller In Manila) and based on a true story. On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper, wearing a black suit and raincoat, carrying only a briefcase, walked up to the Northwest Orient desk at Portland airport and bought a $20 one-way ticket to Seattle. Once on the plane he hands a note to a stewardess saying he has a bomb in his briefcase and demands that a selection of parachutes and a briefcase containing $200K in cash are brought to him as soon as the plane lands in Seattle. The FBI hastily gather the ransom and parachutes then drive onto the tarmac at Seattle airport to meet the plane. Cooper allows the passengers to go free and instructs the plane to take off again. A half-hour later, somewhere over Washington State, Cooper jumps. He is never seen again. Within hours, the FBI embarks on the largest search operation in its history, using spy-planes, helicopters, submarines and speedboats. They draft in hundreds of soldiers and recreate the exact flight path and jump site. Despite this, Cooper is not found. Over the years, Cooper’s identity has always remained out of reach. But 46 years later, the search has been narrowed down to four compelling suspects. Altitude is launching at the AFM; Morgan Matthews is exec producer for Minnow films.

London-based Goldfinch Entertainment is joining forces with York-based production and facilities outfit GSP Studios. The newly-christened Goldfinch Studios will restructure the production arm, studio and post-production facility in York; continue the structuring and financing business of Goldfinch Entertainment; and develop commercial content through Bird Box Pictures, Goldfinch production companies, and third-party producers. Kirsty Bell, previously MD of Goldfinch Entertainment, becomes CEO of Goldfinch Studios, with Alan Latham (formerly MD of GSP Studios), taking the role of COO. They will be at the AFM to discuss their expertise in finance, production, facilities, post and VFX for film and TV projects as well as present their upcoming slate. Projects includes Triple Word Score starring Bill Nighy which begins shooting in November, and Waiting For Anya, based on the Michael Morpurgo novel and directed by Ben Cookson. Goldfinch Entertainment credits include Le Mans: Racing Is Everything and The Eichmann Show with Martin Freeman and Anthony LaPaglia.

Damo & Ivor: The Movie is the feature adaptation of hit Irish TV show which Carnaby International has boarded for worldwide sales ahead of the AFM next week. The story follows the lives of identical twin brothers separated at birth, both played by creator, Andy Quirke. Originating as a skit on YouTube, the characters went viral and were further developed by RTÉ into a TV series which ran for two seasons. Damo & Ivor: The Movie is directed by Ronan and Rob Burke and scheduled for release in Ireland on St Patrick’s Day 2018. Ruth McCabe (Philomena), Tina Kellegher (The Snapper) and Simon Delaney (The Conjuring 2) also star. Wildcard Distribution is producing; the company made comedy, The Young Offenders, which broke Irish box office records in 2016.

Kew Media Group has acquired worldwide sales rights to Zach Fox and Omri Dorani’s teen comedy How To Get Girls, produced by Emmy winner Nancy Glass and Glass Entertainment Group. Fox and Dorani co-wrote the film in which Fox features along with newcomer Martin Cervantez and Chris Elliott, David Koechner and Chris Kattan. In the story, two nerdy childhood best friends have a dream to go to ComicCon. When Ben (Cervantez) is forced to move with his dad to Antarctica the two make a vow: they will finish writing their comic book and get it into the hands of their hero, Marvel creator Stan Lee. After five years of total isolation, Ben returns looking like a total stud, but thinking like the geek he’s always been. Zach uses Ben to do what was once thought impossible — get girls. In the process, he learns a valuable lesson about friendship. The pic won the Portland Comedy Film Festival for Best Feature and Cinematography. Producing alongside Fox and Dorani are Andrea Gunning, Ben Fetterman and Ty Walker. ICM Partners brokered the deal.