Strand has acquired U.S. rights to Michael O’Shea’s atmospheric New York tale The Transfiguration, which world-premiered at Cannes Film Fest series, Un Certain Regard.
Sold by Protagonist Pictures at Toronto, The Transfiguration marks the feature debut of writer-director Michael O’Shea, and stars Eric Ruffin along with Chloe Levine (“Savage Youth”).
A genre film dealing with love, loss and vampires, “The Transfiguration” stars Ruffin as a 14-year-old misfit who gets bullied at school and immerses himself in the world of vampires to escape his solitude when he returns home.
“O’Shea’s film is a unique hybrid that audiences and critics will be compelled by,” said Strand Releasing’s partner Jon Gerrans, who discovered the film at Cannes.
Commenting on the deal, Protagonist CEO Mike Goodridge said, “Strand is a company with such a strong legacy of launching bold and daring cinema in the U.S. marketplace.”
“The Transfiguration” was produced by Susan Leber, whose credits include Debra Granik’s Sundance prize winner, “Down To The Bone,” and Ti West’s feature debut, “The Roost.”
The film’s key crew includes cinematographer Sung Rae Cho (“Graceland”) and sound designer Coll Anderson (“The Host,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene”).
The deal was negotiated by Gerrans for Strand Releasing and Vanessa Saal, Protagonist’s head of sales.
Strand Releasing’s slate includes three interesting films: Alain Guiraudie’s “Staying Vertical,” Andre Techine’s “Being 17” and Stephen Dunn’s “Closet Monster.”
