New York, NY December 12, 2011 – IFC Films announced today that the company is acquiring U.S. rights to director Mary Harron’s sensual gothic film THE MOTH DIARIES presented by Alliance Films and Edward R. Pressman. The film is based on the novel by Rachel Klein. Harron also penned the screenplay for the project, which stars Lily Cole, Sarah Gadon, Sarah Bolger, and Scott Speedman. Karine Martin and David Collins served as producers on the film, with Sandra Cunningham, Pressman, Mark Slone, Jean-Francois Doray, Louis-Simon Menard, Norton Herrick, Zygi Kamasa and Jon Katz executive producing. THE MOTH DIARIES played earlier this year at the 2011 Toronto and Venice International Film Festivals.
Adolescence is and always will be a time of intense emotional confusion, especially if you spend it in a closed environment. That’s the case with Rebecca (Bolger), a young girl haunted by her father’s suicide, who is a student at an exclusive female boarding school. She pours her heart out in a diary, much of it focused on Lucy, her beloved roommate. Their relationship changes drastically with the arrival of a mysterious new student, Ernessa (Cole). As Lucy abandons her for this new girl, Rebecca becomes consumed with thoughts of jealousy and suspicion–Ernessa is dangerous, evil, a vampire. Is there any truth to all this or is Rebecca slipping into insanity?
Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: “We are thrilled to be in business with Mary Harron who has made a very entertaining gothic tale that delivers chills while also managing to get at the heart of teenage relationships. We look forward to working with her and her entire team behind the film.”
Said Harron: "I am delighted to be working with IFC, who have such a wonderful track record and have released so many of my favorite films of the last few years."
Noted Martin: "Mary’s film is a rare look at female teenage relationships veering into the extreme. I’m thrilled Jonathan and his team at IFC will introduce THE MOTH DIARIES to audiences."
"Having collaborated with Mary on AMERICAN PSYCHO, I knew she would be able to successfully capture the psychological intensity of these young girls coming of age. I jumped at the opportunity to work with her again and to have Jonathan Sehring and the team at IFC distribute this darkly passionate tale of adolescence,” commented Pressman.
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, SVP of Acquisitions & Productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films with Bart Walker at Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers.
IFC Films is a sister division to IFC Midnight and Sundance Selects, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks, Inc.
About IFC FILMS
Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of quality talent-driven independent film. Its unique distribution model makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on cable’s Video On Demand (VOD) platform, reaching nearly 50 million homes. Some of the company’s successes over the years have included My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Touching the Void, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Gomorrah, Che, Summer Hours, Antichrist, In the Loop, Antichrist, Wordplay, Cairo Time, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Tiny Furniture and Carlos. Over the years, IFC Films has worked with established and breakout auteurs, including Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Miranda July, Lars Von Trier, Gaspar Noe, Todd Solondz, Cristian Mungiu, Susanne Bier, Olivier Assayas, Jim McKay, Larry Fessenden, Gregg Araki, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, as well as more recent breakouts such as Andrea Arnold, Mia Hansen Love, Corneliu Porombiou, Joe Swanberg, Barry Jenkins, Lena Dunham, Aaron Katz, Daryl Wein and Abdellatif Kechiche. IFC Films is a sister division to Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks, Inc.