Trimark 'Slams' down $2.5 mil for prison pic
Deal sealed after marathon 36-hour negotiation
The gritty prison drama, which marks the feature debut of award-winning documentarian Marc Levin, has been extremely well-received by festival audiences.
In other Sundance developments Wednesday, Miramax acquired distrib rights in some key foreign territories to Brazil's "Central Station" and Matthew Bright agreed to direct a remake of the Danish box office hit "Pusher".
"Slam" is produced by Offline's Henri Kessler, Richard Stratton and Levin. Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn and Bonz Malone star in the picture about a talented black poet jailed on petty drug charges in Washington, D.C.
"For us, it's a great thing to follow 'Eve's Bayou' with," said Trimark senior VP Ray Price. "We're very interested in trying to support new stories in the African-American community. I think this is one of the freshest stories I've seen."
Trimark is contemplating a summer release for "Slam."
The deal was concluded Wednesday night after a marathon 36-hour negotiating session that culminated in a coin toss to decide the final deal point.
John Sloss and Henri Kessler negotiated on behalf of the film, while VP of acquisitions and business affairs Peter Block and VP of acquisitions Bobby Rock represented Trimark.
Offline, a New York-based production and finance boutique, specializes in what Kessler describes as "drama verite" features.
Next summer, the company begins shooting on "Brooklyn Babylon," a "West Side Story"-esque tale about the love between a Hasidic woman and Rastafarian man, and the culture clash that ensues.
