Winner of Sundance Film Festival 2016 Directing Award – World Cinema Documentary
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 10, 2016 – The Orchard announced today that the company has acquired all North American distribution rights to director Michal Marczak’s documentary ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. The innovative film, produced by Endorfina Studio and Pulse Films, won the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award in World Cinema Documentary competition and also recently played at True/False 2016. ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS was produced by Marczak, Marta Golba (Endorfina) and Thomas Benski, Julia Nottingham and Lucas Ochoa for Pulse Films. This marks the second 2016 Directing Award acquisition for The Orchard as the company also recently acquired the winning film in the US Documentary competition, LIFE, ANIMATED.
ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS viscerally summons the feelings evoked by the freedom of our twenties, when we are unfettered by responsibilities or mortality. The film chronicles two Warsaw summers when classmates Kris and Michal resolve to experience life to the limit. Who will they meet and what will they discover about relationships and themselves? What existential realities will thwart them?
“Michal Marczak is an auteur whose work we have been watching for some time,” said Danielle DiGiacomo, VP of Acquisitions, The Orchard. “ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, an enthralling and unique film that captures the uncertainty and frenzy of youth while also provocatively playing with notions of traditional nonfiction film, is a film that marks exciting growth in his career and is perfect fit for The Orchard to bring to a wider audience.”
“Your favorite distribution company picks up your film at Sundance and you win the best director award. What else could one ever ask for?” said Michal Marczak.
“This film was made by a group of people with a shared passion. We knew immediately that The Orchard were driven by that same passion and we are overjoyed and honored to be under their wings for the incredible journey ahead,” said Marta Golba.
“Following the incredible response to the film at Sundance we are ecstatic to be working with The Orchard in bringing this film to audiences in North America,” said Julia Nottingham.
ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS marks the fourth Sundance acquisition for The Orchard, following what was an incredibly successful festival for the company. The film joins Taika Waititi’s HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, Antonio Campos’ CHRISTINE and Roger Ross Williams’ LIFE, ANIMATED in what promises to be a diverse and exciting 2016 slate.
ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS also marks the third consecutive Sundance Directing Award win for Pulse Films and fifth consecutive year of films at Sundance Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated by Josh Braun and Ben Braun of Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers.
About The Orchard
The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 25 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is a groundbreaking leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its innovative technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. The Orchard’s film division has enjoyed such recent successes as the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Cartel Land,” “The Overnight,” “Dior & I” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” Upcoming releases include Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s “The Music of Strangers” and Joachim Trier’s “Louder Than Bombs.”
About Endorfina Studio
Endorfina Studio, founded by Marta Golba, is a young and dynamic production studio based in Warsaw. Drawing from the traditions of Polish cinema and crossing the boundaries of genres, it is always searching for new ways of cinematic expression. Endorfina’s debut feature film, the award-winning “15 Corners of The World”, premiered at IFF Locarno 2014, where it won the Critics Week Award. Endorfina’s productions have screened at numerous international festivals, including IDFA, SXSW and DOK Leipzig. Endorfina’s most recent production “All These Sleepless Nights” premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2016 and won the Directing Award.
About Pulse Films
Pulse Films is an award-winning, independent, modern-day studio encompassing the development, production, financing and distribution of cross-platform content for audiences worldwide. Pulse’s “artist first” mantra has allowed the company to build a thriving talent management component to the business that completes its holistic approach to content creation. Headquartered in London with outposts in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Berlin, Pulse Films was founded by Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford in 2005. Pulse’s most recent films include Sundance award-winners: “The Witch” (2015) directed by Rob Eggers, “20,000 Days on Earth” (2014) directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard and “All These Sleepless Nights” (2016). Previous credits also include the critically acclaimed Edwyn Collins documentary “The Possibilities Are Endless” (SXSW 2014), Gael Garcia Bernal starring “Who is Dayani Cristal?” (Sundance 2013 winner) and the LCD Soundsystem documentary “Shut Up And Play The Hits” (Sundance 2012). Pulse Film’s next release will be “American Honey” directed by Oscar-winner Andrea Arnold.