The 2020 Jury Award Winner for Best U.S. Narrative at the American Black Film Festival and Audience Award Winner at the Atlanta Film Festival Creates Conversation Around Mental Illness
1091 Pictures has released a new official trailer for CURTIS, a poignant drama starring DWIGHT HENRY (Beasts of the Southern Wild). The feature-length directorial debut of Chris Bailey follows the title character as he fights the demons of his past to unravel a present-day mystery. The film now available to purchase or rent.
Set in Detroit, Curtis follows a former star basketball player whose battle with mental illness keeps him trapped between reality and the cobwebs of his own memory. That battle is only exacerbated when he discovers that his high school championship ring is missing. As he tries to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of his memorabilia, Curtis befriends a neighborhood boy who helps him along the way. But even with the anchoring effect of his newfound friend keeping him in the present, the search plunges Curtis deeper into the murky space between reality and his adapted version of it.
Dwight Henry delivers a tour de force performance as the film's protagonist, embodying the many nuances of a troubled soul whose brilliance cannot be dimmed by the circumstances of his life. Alex Henderson shines just as bright in his portrayal of Dre, serving as the perfect foil to Curtis while still telling a story of his own. Together, the two actors capture exactly what writer/director Chris Bailey aimed to do in making this film.
"CURTIS is about regret, mental illness, and ultimately believing in yourself. My whole mantra for the film is: Everybody has a story. So, I'm very grateful to the entire team at 1091 Pictures for seeing the importance of sharing a story like Curtis with the world," said writer-director Chris Bailey.
"We were impressed with Chris' vision and scrupulous storytelling in this powerful and important film and appreciated the way he was able to tackle such difficult subject matter in a relatable and heartfelt way," said 1091's head of content Eric Min. "Mental health is often overlooked in underrepresented communities and we're proud that this film is contributing to the conversation to draw more awareness to these issues."
CURTIS producers include Chelsea Davenport, Kimberly Hwang, and Desi Bee Richardson.
The deal was negotiated by Paradigm Talent Agency on behalf of the filmmakers with Lev Avery-Peck and Gregory Maurice on behalf of 1091 Pictures.
The film won the Jury Award for Best U.S. Narrative at the American Black Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Atlanta Film Festival.
About 1091 Pictures
1091 Pictures is a modern distribution partner for independent film and series owners based in New York and Los Angeles, offering content licensing and delivery to over 100 destinations in over 100 countries. The company represents over 500 filmmakers and distributors and has amassed over 150 award nominations, including two Academy Award® nominations, an Emmy nomination, a Grammy Award for Best Music Film, and over a dozen Spirit Awards nominations. Leading the way in digital distribution, 1091 Pictures helps its clients navigate the streaming landscape, providing marketing resources and valuable insights through partnering with its parent company's new technology platform in development, Streamwise. 1091 Pictures' diverse slate of releases include NYT Critics Picks such as The Ghost of Peter Sellers and Grammy-Award Winner Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, riveting sports stories such as A Kid From Coney Island executive produced by Kevin Durant and featuring Stephon Marbury and Red Bull's The Dawn Wall, audience favorites such as The Last Blockbuster, groundbreaking documentaries such as Close Encounters of The Fifth Kind and The Phenomenon, which reveal the latest intelligence on UFOs, and indie film hits such as Academy Award® Winner Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Spirit Awards-winner Christine, and the knockout comedy The Overnight starring Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling and Jason Schwartzman. www.1091pictures.com
Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) Announces 2024 Film Line-Ups
Theย Asian World Film Festival (AWFF)ย announced the festivalโs Main Competition and Short Film lineups; select, noteworthy screenings; special program highlights; and centerpiece film. Celebrating its 10thย anniversary of showcasing Asian film from around the world, AWFF will take place November 13-21, 2024, at The Culver Theater in Culver City, CA. The nine-day festival will present narrative and documentary motion pictures and short films from 27 countries, including four that premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. More than 30 of the screenings will feature live Q&As with the filmmakers, talent, and crew. Georges N. Chamchoum, AWFF Executive Director, said, โWe are very grateful to the filmmakers around the world supporting this yearโs line-up with more than 60 narrative and documentary films. The AWFF continues to open the window to the region of Asia as well to showcase Asian-American talent through our range of programs. I am amazed at the depth and breadth of the work on the AWFF schedule this year.โ AWFF Main Competition The Main Competition will exclusively include sixteen motion pictures submitted for the 97thย Academy Awardยฎ for Best International Feature Film. Snow Leopard trophies will be awarded for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Special Jury Prize, and Audience Award. The Best Cinematography winner will receive a $45,000 Panavision Camera Package... Read More