Writer-director Daniel Sawka’s “Icebox” has been acquired by HBO Films. The feature, produced by James L. Brooks’ Gracie Films and co-financed with Endeavor Content, is set to debut Dec. 7 on HBO.
The film tells the story of Anthony Gonzalez’s Óscar, a 12-year-old Honduran boy who is forced to flee his home and seek asylum in the United States, only to find himself trapped in the U.S. immigration system.
“I have seldom seen a movie so of the moment – it’s almost reportage,” said Amato. “’Icebox’ gives viewers not only an opportunity to witness what it’s like inside these migrant detention centers, but also to feel the emotions of the children, revealing a world that many journalists and citizens have not yet been able to sufficiently penetrate.”
Brooks and Gracie Films teamed with Sawka to expand the project from a master’s thesis short into a feature-length film. The feature premiered in the Discovery section at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
“Icebox” is an HBO Films presentation of a Gracie Films production and co-financed with Endeavor Content; Producers are Brooks, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell, and David Greathouse; director of photography is Carolina Costa; production designer is Sue Tebbutt; editor is Salvador Pérez García; composer is Steve Mazzaro; costume designer is Maria Bentfield; casting director is Carla Hool; additional music is by Hans Zimmer.