The Orchard, a pioneering independent music, film and video distribution company and top-ranked MCN, has acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to writer/director Ivan Kavanagh’s psychological horror feature, The Canal.
The film, which premiered globally at this week’s 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, will be released through The Orchard’s horror film brand, Shock Till You Drop.
It stars Rupert Evans (Hellboy) and Antonia Campbell-Hughes, with Hannah Hoekstra, Kelly Byrne and Steve Oram.
“We’re excited to release the film through an innovative film distributor like The Orchard who is focused on digital releasing with a theatrical campaign, creative online marketing and sales transparency,” said AnneMarie Naughton, Producer at Park Films. “Their passion and strong commitment to securing the film was clear from the outset and we look forward to working with them on it; their partnership with Shock Till You Drop will ensure horror fans discover our movie.”
An Irish/UK co-production (Irish Film Board and Film Agency Wales), The Canal was produced by AnneMarie Naughton for Park Films, with co-producers Vaughan Sivell and Sander Verdonk. Noted for its impressive and striking visuals, the feature has garnered great reviews, including being touted as the best horror film released at Tribeca this year.
“This is one of those horror films that really creeps up on you. It’s a truly unnerving piece of work,” says ShockTillYouDrop.com managing editor Ryan Turek. “I’m excited to have it join the growing slate of horror films Shock Till You Drop is releasing with The Orchard.”
Kavanagh’s surrealistic and sensory-charged work tells the story of David Williams and his wife, Alice, who move into a beautiful period house by the canal with their small child, Billy. As David begins to suspect that his wife is cheating on him, he also starts to have nightmarish visions of an evil presence he believes inhabits his home. Eventually, brutal 20th-century murders are revealed and present-day horrors consume the protagonists.
The deal was negotiated by Craig Sussman at The Orchard with Nate Bolotin at XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers. The Orchard will be releasing the film theatrically in 20 major markets and across online, cable, satellite and physical stores.
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