Utopia Boards ‘Last Tourist’; Buffalo 8 Picks Up Hart Denton Pic; Blue Mountain Fest Committee — North America Briefs

Utopia Picks Up The Last Tourist

EXCLUSIVE: Utopia has acquired rights to responsible travel documentary feature The Last Tourist and has set a March 15th digital release in the U.S. to mark the two-year anniversary of the pandemic closing the world’s borders to international travel. The film will also have its U.S. premiere on March 8th at Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Directed and written by Tyson Sadler and executive-produced by Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of community tourism pioneer and adventure operator, G Adventures, the movie features Dr. Jane Goodall, Lek Chailert, Gary Knell, Meenu Vadera and Jonathan Tourtellot. The documentary, which was awarded with the Special Jury Prize for Social Impact by the Canadian Documentary Jury at the Calgary International Film Festival, examines the history of modern tourism and offers a critique on its current state of affairs. It explores issues including animals suffering for entertainment, orphaned children exploited for profit, and developing economies strained under the weight of foreign-owned hotel chains. Pic is a Born Explorer Films production created by G Adventures and written by Jesse Mann and Tyson Sadler, with an original score by Anthony Fung and Anton Peterson, original music by Heidi Webster (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), cinematography by Stephen Chandler Whitehead (A People Uncounted), and editing by Jesse Mann.

Blue Mountain Film Festival Unveils Advisory Committee

EXCLUSIVE: Helen du Toit’s Blue Mountain Film Festival (BMFF) has unveiled the event’s advisory committee assembled for this year’s inaugural edition. The group comprises Canadian producer Daniel Bekerman, producer Allison Black, academic Drew Fagan, business development exec Jennifer Frees, BMFF co-founder Marni Moreau, artist Tamara Podemski, location manager John Rakich, writer-director Sudz Sutherland, and Netflix Canada exec Tara Woodbury. BMFF runs from June 1-5. Bekerman’s credits include the Sundance and Indie Spirit winner The Witch, Falling, Come To Daddy, and Percy Vs. Goliath. “As a film producer, I have a deep appreciation for festivals and the important role they play in launching a film. I have a long professional history with Helen and her ability to galvanize people and run a successful festival is second to none,” said Bekerman who will serve as Committee Chair. “It is my honour to work with this incredibly talented group of people as we come together to help launch BMFF to the world.”

Buffalo 8 Picks Up American Cherry

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. management and production firm Buffalo 8, which is moving into distribution, has acquired rights to Marcella Cytrynowicz’s American Cherry, a psychological thriller-romance about a teenage girl who must navigate her freedom and personal identity within a dysfunctional family. The film stars Hart Denton (Riverdale), Sarah May Sommers (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Audrey Holcomb, Larsen Thompson, Matty Cardarople (Stranger Things), and Leonor Varela (Blade II). Producers are Taryn Sims and Jadyn Arriola, as well as Hanna Griffiths. Nikki Stier Justice, Buffalo 8’s Head of Distribution, negotiated the deal. Buffalo 8 recently picked up Poland’s Oscar hopeful Leave No Traces.