EXCLUSIVE: IFC Films has acquired North American rights to The Almond and the Seahorse, prior to the film making its World Premiere at the Zurich Film Festival. The film stars Rebel Wilson in her first dramatic role. Directed by BAFTA winner Celyn Jones (Six Minutes To Midnight) and BAFTA nominee Tom Stern, the film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal and Celyn Jones. Script is by Jones and playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on the play by the latter.
IFC Films will release the film in theaters and on demand December 16, 2022.
For Gwen (Dyrholm), it’s always 1999. The face in the mirror is unfamiliar and her partner, Toni (Gainsbourg), isn’t recognizable to her despite waking up together every day. For Joe (Jones), his past is coming undone and his partner, Sarah (Wilson), fears she will be forgotten. A doctor refuses to give up on them, determined not to let them all unravel. The result is a funny, poignant and moving story which follows two couples where one partner has survived Traumatic Brain Injury and how it impacts their lives together.
Pic is produced by Andy Evans, Alex Ashworth and Sean Marley for Mad As Birds, and Alison Brister for REP Productions SF. The film was financed by REP Productions SF alongside Head Gear, Picnik Entertainment, Creative Wales and Ffilm Cymru Wales, with funding from the National Lottery. Executive producers include Laure Vaysse for Harcourt Capital, Bizzy Day and Pauline Burt for Ffilm Cymru Wales Phil Hunt, Compton Ross for Head Gear, Nicola Pearcey for Picnik Entertainment Ltd, with Stephen Kelliher and Yana Georgieva for Bankside Films and Eddie Izzard.
Directors Celyn Jones and Tom Stern said, “To have IFC Films as a partner is a stamp of quality for us as their cinematic taste and care is impeccable. We wanted to make a film where the performances could take center stage, underpinned by a unique and daring script about a subject that affects many. It’s a fresh, yet familiar story, with phenomenal performances about people who become broken and then must put the pieces back together again like a precious vase.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Acquisitions Manager Adam Koehler, with WME Independent and Bankside Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
