UEG (Union Entertainment Group), whose feature films Hateship Loveship and The Brass Teapot premiered back to back at the last two Toronto Film Festivals, has entered the TV arena. Producer Noah C. Haeussner and UEG President Michael Raimondi have acquired the Television and Film rights to Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission: The True Story of an Operation in Pakistan’s Badlands, by Howard Leedham. A former British Special Operations Officer, Leedham was enlisted by the U.S. State Department to energize and lead a U.S.-sponsored security program on the Pakistan side of the Afghanistan border.
The book, published by Bene Factum Publishing Ltd., is the basis for the series, which chronicles Leedham’s experiences successfully winning the confidence of a small local force of specially recruited tribesmen soldiers known as the “Warrior Race” and then leading them on missions in the single most dangerous location in the world. At the same time, he juggles internal embassy and Washington DC politics and a meltdown in his home life. Leedham has been successfully retained as creative consultant, and the producers have commenced their recruitment process for a showrunner and writers.
Haeussner, who is leading the development of the series, described Ask Forgiveness as “Syriana meets Lone Survivor. Howard's remarkable story plays out on a global scale with the combination of an American unit’s vision and commitment, British ingenuity, and exceptional valor. At the same time, it is a story of personal loss and sacrifice, to which all men and women who have had to make life-changing decisions will relate.”
The acquisition complements a healthy slate of film projects for UEG. As a follow up to Hateship Loveship and The Brass Teapot, the company is in pre-production on a soon-to-be-announced female driven psychological thriller and is in development on three films slated to go into production next year.
Contact:Noah C. Haeussner
Union Entertainment Group
310.481.2200
Contact Noah via email
Media:
Hesh Rephun
Contact Hesh via email
Award-Winning Director Rachel Annette Helson’s Film “Good Daughter” Enters the 2025 Oscars® Race
With the 2025 Oscars® season heating up, director Rachel Annette Helson, an alumni of the 2019 SHOOT New Directors Showcase, enters the race for Best Live Action Short Film with Good Daughter, a crime drama that stars Netflix alum Samantha Sloyan. Good Daughter follows Rebecca (Sloyan), a woman who cons dementia patients by pretending to be their daughter – until the con catches up with her. The gripping narrative explores the rampant issue of financial exploitation of vulnerable seniors, and it’s personal for Helson. “Both of my Grandmothers passed away from Alzheimer’s,” she shared. “My family spent lots of time in the memory care facilities with them, but not everyone was so lucky. I saw a lot of lonely, abandoned people who had few visitors and no one by their side as they were dying. Good Daughter grapples with complex moral questions as it looks at someone who gives time to patients in their last days – but takes valuables in return. And there’s a great reveal at the end that really brings it full circle.” A huge part of the film’s success goes to lead actress Samantha Sloyan whose performance has been universally praised - and even won her the Best Actress award at Cindependent Film Festival as well as a Best Actress Nomination at Catalina Film Festival. “Samantha brought the perfect blend of humanity, humor and nuance to the role,” said Helson. “Her performance will make you laugh and punch you in the gut. She’s truly a powerhouse.” Sloyan has garnered accolades in recent years for playing characters that audiences love to hate. Most famously, she starred as Beverly Keane in the hit mini-series Midnight Mass, earning a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series by the... Read More