Swiss film producers and financiers Karl Spoerri and Viviana Vezzani have been Sundance regulars for more than 15 years, but this edition is special.
The pair, who were driving forces behind the Zurich Film Festival (Zff) up until 2019, are in Park City this year with Thelma, which is the first feature from their new company Zurich Avenue to make it into Sundance.
Josh Margolin’s action-comedy-drama, starring 94-year-old June Squibb as a L.A. grandmother who sets off on a friend’s mobility scooter on a mission to track down an Internet scammer, is proving one of the early hits of the festival.
“On a personal level, it’s very meaningful because Sundance was always a big influence for us at the Zurich Film Festival from the start,” says Vezzani.
“We always loved going as programmers so getting Thelma accepted at Sundance was a dream come true.”
Former Zff co-founder and...
The pair, who were driving forces behind the Zurich Film Festival (Zff) up until 2019, are in Park City this year with Thelma, which is the first feature from their new company Zurich Avenue to make it into Sundance.
Josh Margolin’s action-comedy-drama, starring 94-year-old June Squibb as a L.A. grandmother who sets off on a friend’s mobility scooter on a mission to track down an Internet scammer, is proving one of the early hits of the festival.
“On a personal level, it’s very meaningful because Sundance was always a big influence for us at the Zurich Film Festival from the start,” says Vezzani.
“We always loved going as programmers so getting Thelma accepted at Sundance was a dream come true.”
Former Zff co-founder and...
- 1/20/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
This year, Filmmaker sent all first-time Sundance feature film producers a questionnaire to complete ahead of their film’s festival screening. We also sent out a single question for feature directors to answer as well as questionnaires for editors and cinematographers. Below, find links to individual first-time Sundance feature producer responses, which will be updated daily during the festival. “Treat People Well and They’ll Treat You Well”: Producer Chris Kaye on Thelma “Trying To Fit Someone’s Dream Into a Confined Budget Is Not Easy”: Producer Sam Intili on I Saw the TV Glow
The post 2024 Sundance Questionnaire: First-Time Producer Responses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post 2024 Sundance Questionnaire: First-Time Producer Responses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/18/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
This year, Filmmaker sent all first-time Sundance feature film producers a questionnaire to complete ahead of their film’s festival screening. We also sent out a single question for feature directors to answer as well as questionnaires for editors and cinematographers. Below, find links to individual first-time Sundance feature producer responses, which will be updated daily during the festival. “Treat People Well and They’ll Treat You Well”: Producer Chris Kaye on Thelma “Trying To Fit Someone’s Dream Into a Confined Budget Is Not Easy”: Producer Sam Intili on I Saw the TV Glow
The post 2024 Sundance Questionnaire: First-Time Producer Responses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post 2024 Sundance Questionnaire: First-Time Producer Responses first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/18/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Thelma spins a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin’s grandmother into a comedic action film. The eponymous character, played by veteran character actor June Squibb falls victim to a phone scammer claiming to be her grandson and begins a literal quest for justice. The film also marks the first producing credit for Chris Kaye, who recounts his long road to the gig, which began in earnest just as he was ready to throw in the towel and embark on a new career. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time […]
The post “Treat People Well and They’ll Treat You Well”: Producer Chris Kaye on Thelma first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Treat People Well and They’ll Treat You Well”: Producer Chris Kaye on Thelma first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/18/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Thelma spins a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin’s grandmother into a comedic action film. The eponymous character, played by veteran character actor June Squibb falls victim to a phone scammer claiming to be her grandson and begins a literal quest for justice. The film also marks the first producing credit for Chris Kaye, who recounts his long road to the gig, which began in earnest just as he was ready to throw in the towel and embark on a new career. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time […]
The post “Treat People Well and They’ll Treat You Well”: Producer Chris Kaye on Thelma first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Treat People Well and They’ll Treat You Well”: Producer Chris Kaye on Thelma first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/18/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Exclusive: Good Deed Entertainment has acquired North American and UK rights to the indie drama Midday Black Midnight Blue, starring 2x Emmy winner Merritt Wever (Godless), slating it for a day-and-date release in June.
The first feature from writer-directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott, also starring Chris Stack (AMC’s Interview with the Vampire) and Soule (Godless), follows Ian (Stack) as he grapples with his shifting memories of Liv (Soule), a woman he once loved. For Ian, it’s a chance run-in with Liv’s sister (Wever) that sparks a journey in which he has a chance to reconnect to the light and fight his way back to life.
The film, which world premiered at last year’s Seattle Film Festival, is produced by Soule, Talbott and Stack, as well as Lovell Holder and Addie Johnson Talbott. Exec producers are Timothy Farrell, Conner Marx and Will Pullen. Gde’s EVP...
The first feature from writer-directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott, also starring Chris Stack (AMC’s Interview with the Vampire) and Soule (Godless), follows Ian (Stack) as he grapples with his shifting memories of Liv (Soule), a woman he once loved. For Ian, it’s a chance run-in with Liv’s sister (Wever) that sparks a journey in which he has a chance to reconnect to the light and fight his way back to life.
The film, which world premiered at last year’s Seattle Film Festival, is produced by Soule, Talbott and Stack, as well as Lovell Holder and Addie Johnson Talbott. Exec producers are Timothy Farrell, Conner Marx and Will Pullen. Gde’s EVP...
- 3/24/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: 93-year-old Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) has found her first, long overdue leading role in Thelma, an upcoming “action” comedy written and directed by Josh Margolin, which has wrapped production. The actress is joined in the ensemble by Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus), Richard Roundtree (Shaft), Parker Posey (The Staircase), Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange).
Margolin’s first feature, based on a real-life experience involving his grandmother, is (half-jokingly) billed as Nebraska meets Mission: Impossible. It centers on 90-year-old grandmother Thelma Post (Squibb), who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a uniquely treacherous quest to reclaim what was taken from her.
Zoë Worth, a longtime collaborator of Margolin’s, and producing partner Chris Kaye started developing Thelma after reading an early draft in their writer’s group, Rock & Roll Universe. The film will be their first produced together.
Margolin’s first feature, based on a real-life experience involving his grandmother, is (half-jokingly) billed as Nebraska meets Mission: Impossible. It centers on 90-year-old grandmother Thelma Post (Squibb), who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a uniquely treacherous quest to reclaim what was taken from her.
Zoë Worth, a longtime collaborator of Margolin’s, and producing partner Chris Kaye started developing Thelma after reading an early draft in their writer’s group, Rock & Roll Universe. The film will be their first produced together.
- 11/21/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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