August 22, 2018 5:14 pm

levelFILM and Seville International to set off Firecrackers

Bold Talent Fund feature to have world premiere at TIFF 2018

“Mozaffari’s searing drama brims with explosive intensity.”

– Danis Goulet, TIFF Programmer

TORONTO, August 22, 2018 – levelFILM and Seville International, an Entertainment One company, announced today that they have acquired rights to Jasmin Mozaffari’s debut feature Firecrackers ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. levelFILM will handle distribution in Canada and Seville will handle international sales. The announcement was made today by David Hudakoc, Managing Director of levelFILM and Anick Poirier, SVP International Sales of Seville International.

Based on Mozaffari’s short film by the same name, Firecrackers features explosive performances by Michaela Kurimsky (2018 TIFF Rising Star) and Karena Evans (Director, Drake’s God’s Plan). “Firecrackers is raw, powerful and unforgettable,” said David Hudakoc, Managing Director of levelFILM. “We believe it’s a film that will strike a chord with audiences and are thrilled to be working with such a strong new voice in Jasmin Mozaffari.”

Firecrackers tells the story of Lou (Kurimsky) and her best friend Chantal (Evans) as they plan to get out of their isolated, run-down town and move to a city far, far away. When Chantal’s unstable and possessive ex violates her during a night of partying, the girls decide to exact their revenge on him through a night of vandalism and debauchery. The consequences of their actions are devastating, threatening the girls’ chances of ever leaving. The more Lou fights tooth-and-nail to save her friendship and hold onto her dreams, the more she spins out of control as she begins to realize that freedom will come at a high cost.

“This film is electric! Both in front of and behind the camera, the cast and crew of Firecrackers is made up of pure talent,” said Anick Poirier, SVP International Sales, Seville International. “We are honored to support Jasmin and the other female filmmakers who brought this free spirited story to life and are looking forward to sharing this gutsy film with the global marketplace.”

Firecrackers was produced by Caitlin Grabham of Prowler Films alongside Kristy Neville of Wildling Pictures. Paul Barkin and Matt Code served as Executive Producers on the project. Firecrackers will premiere at TIFF as part of the Discovery Program.

Firecrackers is slated for a spring 2019 release in Canada by levelFILM. The Canadian deal was negotiated by levelFILM’s Hudakoc and John Bain and Paul Barkin on behalf of the filmmakers. Barkin and Poirier negotiated the international deal.

 

 

About levelFILM:

levelFILM was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Toronto. In January of 2018, the company acquired fellow distributor Search Engine Films to bolster its library to over 300 films. Recent releases include the faith-based box hit I Can Only Imagine, period romance Mary Shelley starring Elle Fanning, and WWI Drama Journey’s End starring Asa Butterfield, Sam Claflin and Paul Bettany. Upcoming releases include Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 and Jovanka Vuckovic’s Riot Girls.

 

 

About Entertainment One

Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company’s diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales; family programming, merchandising and licensing; digital content; and live entertainment. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.

Entertainment One’s robust network includes Makeready with Brad Weston; content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; unscripted television production companies Whizz Kid Entertainment and Renegade 83; live entertainment leaders Round Room Entertainment; world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning emerging content and technology studio Secret Location.

 

The Company’s rights library, valued at US$1.7 billion (as at 31 March 2017), is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 80,000 hours of film and television content and approximately 40,000 music tracks.

 

Seville International is the company’s Montréal-based international film distribution arm specializing in strong independent films with crossover potential and arthouse films with award pedigree from Québec, Canada and around the world.