The Orchard Masters Martial Arts with “Kung Fu Elliot” Pick Up
Feb 18, 2015
Winner of Fantastic Fest’s Best Documentary, “Kung Fu Elliot” will hit US audiences later this month.
New York, NY – February 18, 2015 – The Orchard has acquired U.S. theatrical and digital rights for the 2014 Fantastic Fest Best Documentary and Slamdance Grand Jury PrizeBest Documentary, Kung Fu Elliot. The film is directed by Jaret Belliveau and Matthew Bauckman, and produced by David Eberts.
Kung Fu Elliot follows amateur martial artist and filmmaker Elliot “White Lightning” Scott as he strives to become Canada’s first action hero through the making of his low-budget karate epic, Blood Fight. As Scott’s delusions of movie stardom begin to threaten his relationship with his supportive girlfriend and eccentric cast of actor friends, this whimsical underdog story turns into a disturbing portrait of a man whose toughest opponent is the truth.
Drawing early comparisons to American Movie, Napoleon Dynamite, and King of Kong, the documentary was a crowd favorite during its festival run. Indiewire has said “the dramatic finale of Elliot is so surprising that it will undoubtedly get audiences talking about what they just saw.”
“We are all very excited to be working with The Orchard on the film’s U.S. release. They have an excellent grasp of the film’s sensibility, and a strong plan to reach and engage its audience for a successful roll-out,” said Kung Fu Elliot producer David Eberts.
“The conceit of Kung Fu Elliot, that Canada deserves its own martial arts action hero, is a reasonable goal that had me wondering why it wasn’t so,” said The Orchard’s SVP of Film & TV, Paul Davidson. “Then I watched the film, met Eliot “White Lightning” Scott, and got sucked into a vortex of drama that made it crystal clear to me.”
The Orchard will open the film exclusively in New York City at Cinema Village on February 20th. It will hit VOD and theaters nationwide on February 24th.
The deal was negotiated by Danielle DiGiacomo of The Orchard and David Piperni from Cargo Film & Releasing.
ABOUT THE ORCHARD
The Orchard is a pioneering music, video and film distribution company and top-ranked Multi Channel Network operating in more than 25 global markets. With a holistic approach to sales and marketing combined with industry-leading technology and operations, The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of digital, physical and mobile outlets around the world. The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. Founded in 1997, The Orchard empowers businesses and creators in the entertainment industry. For further information, please visit www.theorchard.com.