"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" duo reteaming on romantic comedy; the film marks Vardalos’ feature directing debut
On-demand and theatrical release set for July 2009
New York, NY May 5, 2009) – IFC Films, one of the leading American distributors of independent films, announced today it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY, a New York-set romantic comedy starring Nia Vardalos and John Corbett. I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY marks the first on-screen reunion of Vardalos and Corbett since the 2002 hit MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING which is IFC Films’ highest grossing film to date as well as the most successful platform release of all time. Written by Vardalos, who is making her directorial debut, the supporting cast of I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY includes "30 Rock" star Judah Friedlander, "Saturday Night Live" veteran Rachel Dratch and Zoe Kazan, the recipient of the 2009 Best Actress award from the Tribeca Film Festival for "The Exploding Girl."
William Sherak, Madeline Sherak and Jason Shuman produced I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY for Blue Star Entertainment.
The deal for I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY was negotiated by Derek Reynolds at Barnes Law Firm on behalf of Arianna Bocco at IFC Films and Bic Tran from ICM Independent.
In I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY Nia Vardalos stars as Genevieve, a romantic, carefree florist. She loves romance but keeps her relationships short with a "five date" rule. Her theory is tested when her whirlwind romance with Greg (Corbett), the charming new restaurateur in town, reaches the end of their fifth date, and she realizes she wants more.
Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment said, "After our successful collaboration on MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Nia and John again. We think this romantic comedy is the perfect film for all of our platforms and are incredibly excited by its prospects."
Nia Vardalos said, ""Shooting this indie in 18 days was the most challenging and exhilarating project I have ever taken on, and was made possible by the support of the producers, the goodwill of Second City friends’ "I’m in" attitude, and the generous and kind John Corbett always making my words better. So now, to have our old friends IFC release this film feels like a perfect fit."
IFC Films is releasing I HATE VALENTIE’S DAY via its IFC in Theaters platform. Beginning July 1st the film will be available nationwide on-demand for three months. In addition, the film will have theatrical engagements in New York and Los Angeles as well as other select cities. "I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY" will also go through IFC Entertainment’s exclusive deal with Blockbuster. The agreement enables IFC Films to reach a broader audience for its titles through Blockbuster’s stores, by mail subscription services and digital downloading services at Blockbuster.com.
Vardalos can also be seen this spring in MY LIFE IN RUINS, a romance from Fox Searchlight also starring Richard Dreyfuss, Harland Williams and Rachel Dratch. MY LIFE IN RUINS is the closing night film of the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.
About IFC Entertainment
A leader in the independent film industry, IFC Entertainment consists of multiple brands that are devoted to bringing the best of specialty films to the largest possible audience: IFC Films, Festival Direct, IFC Productions, and the IFC Center. IFC Films is a leading distributor of independent film. Its unique day and date distribution model, ’IFC In Theaters,’ makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them simultaneously in theaters as well as on cable’s On Demand platform and through Pay-Per-View, reaching 50 million homes. ’IFC Festival Direct’ features a wide selection of titles acquired from major international film festivals and offers them exclusively through Video on Demand. IFC Productions is a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects. IFC Center is a three screen, state-of-the-art cinema with luxurious seating and HD digital and 35mm projection that shows art-house films in the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village. IFC Entertainment’s companies are subsidiaries of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.
About Blue Star Entertainment
Blue Star Entertainment is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most young and innovative production companies. The two founding partners, WILLIAM SHERAK and JASON SHUMAN, established their company in 1998 with their first feature, an independent film entitled Four Dogs Playing Poker. To date their films have grossed nearly $350 million worldwide. Some highlights include, Role Models, Bangkok Dangerous, The Messengers, Darkness Falls, Daddy Day Care, and Little Black Book. 2009 looks to be an exciting year with the romantic comedy I Hate Valentines Day, starring Nia Vardalos and John Corbett in their first re-teaming since the smash hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The film will be out in theaters July 3rd. Just completed photography in Phoenix is the drama Middle Men starring Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, and James Caan, written and directed by George Gallo, hitting theaters this fall. Due to begin production this summer is the medical thriller Unfinished Country, starring Sam Jackson and Jim Sturges.