NEW YORK, NY, May 19, 2017 – IFC has bought U.S. rights to Alex Lawther’s high school comedy-drama “Freak Show.”

The film, based on James St. James’ bestseller of the same name, follows Billy Bloom as a cross-dressing teenager and new student at an ultra-conservative high school. He’s determined not to change his outlandish outfits or behavior, taking a stand for outcasts and underdogs everywhere by running for homecoming queen and forging a friendship with the football team quarterback.

The cast includes Abigail Breslin, Laverne Cox, Larry Pine, Willa Fitzgerald, Bette Midler, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson, Michael Park, Christopher Keogh, and Lorraine Toussaint. Breslin played the role of Billy’s rival, and Cox stars as a reporter. Pine portrays Billy’s father while Midler plays Billy’s mother.

Trudie Styler helmed in her feature directorial debut. Producers are Styler, Charlotte Ubben, and Maven Pictures’ Celine Rattray with Flower Films’ Chris Miller and Ember Truesdell along with Jeffrey Coulter and Bryan Rabin.

The book was published in 2007 and was nominated for the Lambda Literary Award in the LGBT children’s/young adult category and the Lambda Literary Award for gay men’s debut fiction. Lawther portrayed the young Alan Turing in “The Imitation Game.”

The Works is handling foreign sales at Cannes. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 13. [Courtesy Variety]

About Maven Pictures

Maven Pictures is a New York-based film development, production and financing company co-founded by Oscar-nominated producer and veteran film executive Celine Rattray and BAFTA-nominated producer, filmmaker, actress and activist Trudie Styler. Styler, a BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning producer (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Moon) and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rattray (who won a Golden Globe for The Kids Are All Right) focus on innovative storytelling with premiere talent. Together, they work to produce high quality independent films while taking advantage of cultural resources in New York and London and working with top tier filmmakers.

Maven finances development and provides equity for films across a wide range of budgets and for distribution across all platforms. Maven Pictures produced GIRL MOST LIKELY, – directed by Oscar-nominated duo Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (AMERICAN SPLENDOR) and starring Kristen Wiig (star of BRIDESMAIDS, the highest grossing R-rated female comedy ever),, Annette Bening, Darren Criss and Matt Dillon. The film premiered In Toronto and was released by Lionsgate Films. Maven also produced FILTH, starring James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, and Jamie Bell, recently released in the UK, and becoming the country’s second highest grossing R-rated film of the year. Maven’s also produced, BLACK NATIVITY is a modernized take on Langston Hughes’ classic musical and stars Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson and Mary J Blige. Fox Searchlight released wide. Maven produced TEN THOUSAND SAINTS, an adaptation of the best-selling novel (NY Times Notable Book of 2011, finalist for LA Times’ Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction) by award winning author Eleanor Henderson. The film was directed by Pulcini and Berman, starring Ethan Hawke, Emile Hirsch, Hailee Steinfeld, and Asa Butterfield. TEN THOUSAND SAINTS premiered at Sundance 2015, and was sold to Screen Media. Maven executive produced the UK film MISS YOU ALREADY, directed by award winning Catherine Hardwicke, written by Morwenna Banks, and starring award winning actresses Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette. Lionsgate will release in the fall after it’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Rattray and Styler also executive produced STILL ALICE, directed by award winning duo Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, based on the novel by Lisa Genova, for which Julianne Moore won an Oscar for Best Actress. Maven is in post on Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY, starring Shia Labeouf.

About Studio Mao

Studio Mao is a premiere global content management company founded in 2006 with a strong focus on motion picture production, development and distribution. The company produces feature films, including the critically-acclaimed award winning film Filth by the author of Trainspotting Irvine Welsh in which James Mcavoy won Best Actor awards at the Scottish BAFTA’s, British Independent Film Awards, Empire Awards and London Critics Circle Film Awards. The film’s director Jon S. Baird also won the London Critics Circle Breakthrough British Filmmaker award and the film was nominated on multiple occasions for Best Feature Film. Filth was the highest grossing independent film in England in 2013 and was produced in collaboration with industry leaders Maven Pictures (Trudie Styler, Celine Rattray) and Steel Mill Pictures (Ken Marshall). Studio Mao also collaborated with Maven Pictures on Girl Most Likely starring Kristen Wiig and Darren Criss, and Ten Thousand Saints starring Ethan Hawke, Hailee Steinfeld and Asa Butterfield.

The Studio Mao brand is synonymous with high quality, original and bold content that is distributed to markets around the world. The company is actively involved in developing its proprietary HD content management and video streaming platform “STP™” designed to securely deliver content worldwide and on multiple platforms. Subscribers will be able to view Studio Mao movie releases and content utilizing STP™ technology that will further permit an interactive experience with dynamic and live HD feeds.

The company’s open source mantra is “Leave no creative stone unturned”.

For more information about Studio Mao, please visit www.studiomao.com

Contact:

Steve Kent
asst@studiomao.com
(212) 961-6882