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Dylan Marchetti sets up Variance

ThinkFilm exec launches production house

By DADE HAYES

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Dylan Marchetti, former director of distribution and marketing at ThinkFilm, has founded Variance Films, which seeks to provide a middle ground between traditional distribution and the self-distrib route.

Variance has lined up two pics in the near term.

The first is "Walking on Dead Fish," a co-release with Dutchmen Films, is a high school football doc that opens in New Orleans on Sept. 5 and expands regionally Sept. 19. NFL vet and Fox broadcaster Terry Bradshaw exec produced the story of a team regrouping after Hurricane Katrina.

The other release is "Smother," a dark comedy starring Diane Keaton, Dax Shepard and Liv Tyler. It will open in the top five markets on Sept. 26, with a national expansion to follow.

Marchetti worked on pics like "Nanking" and "The Air I Breathe" at Think. Prior to that, he worked for ImaginAsian Pictures, a division of ImaginAsian Entertainment he helped found, and for AMC Theaters.