Fox Searchlight has acquired the short film “Lavender” out of the Sundance Film Festival.
The company said the movie, which tells the story of a young gay man who develops a complex relationship with an older couple, will be released on its social media channels.
The film stars Michael Urie, Michael Hsu Rosen, and Ken Barnett. Urie and Rosen are best known for their stage work and recently starred in the Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy.” Barnett is also known to theater circles, having recently appeared in “Fun Home” on Broadway.
The film was directed by Matthew Puccini, a Brooklyn-based filmmaker whose short films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, and Palm Springs. “Lavender” is produced by Casey Bader, Tyler Rabinowitz, and Corey Deckler. It screened in Sundance’s short film program.
“We are always looking for fresh filmmaking talents, and the short film world led us to a talented director in Matthew Puccini,” said Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula, Fox Searchlight’s co-heads. “Matthew’s film ‘Lavender’ is a work of great beauty and resonance, and showcases a personal voice from and about the LGBTQ community. We enthusiastically welcome him to the Searchlight family of filmmakers.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. It’s a time of great change at Searchlight. The company is about to have new a corporate parent once Disney completes its $72 billion acquisition of much of 21st Century Fox’s television and film assets.