EXCLUSIVE: Labid Aziz’s People of Culture Studios (PoC Studios), has picked up North American distribution rights to Kim Bass’s comedy A Snowy Day in Oakland, and will open the film nationwide in theaters over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, Jan. 13, 2023. The movie is the debut theatrical release for PoC Studios.
Written and directed by Kim Bass, A Snowy Day in Oakland follows an upscale psychologist from San Francisco who decides to end a stalled romance with her longtime, high-profile, psychiatrist, boyfriend/business partner. She moves on with her life by opening her own private practice in a vacant, street-front office space in the middle of a small, commercial block located across the bay in Oakland, turning the predominately African-American and psychologically ignored neighborhood on its emotional ear.
The movie stars Nicole Ari Parker (Boogie Nights), Loretta Devine (Crash), Kimberly Elise (The Manchurian Candidate), Deon Cole (Black-ish), Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite), Evan Ross (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 2), Reno Wilson (Transformers; Dark Side of the Moon), Arden Myrin (Insatiable), Tony Plana (Bombshell), Jakée Harry (Sister, Sister), Claudia Zevallos (Day of Days), Sean Maguire (Once Upon A Time), Donis Leonard Jr. (House of Lies) and Keith David (The Princess and the Frog).
The pic also features music by The Staples Singers, The Isley Brothers, Buena Vista Social Club, Dinah Washington and Gil Scott-Heron.
John Cappetta (Marshall, Tyson’s Run) and his shingle Planet 9 Productions produced the film alongside Bass and Deanna Shapiro (Beautiful Lie Pictures).
Said Bass, “Five years in the making, Snowy Day is not only a passion project, but a very personal and poignant story that I am eager to share with the movie-going audience. Partnering with Planet 9 Productions and PoC Studios for its production and release, is literally a dream come true!”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have A Snowy Day in Oakland as our debut theatrical release,” said Labid Aziz. “It’s a film that tackles a real issue in a fun, light and memorable way, and will leave audiences thinking and hopefully talking about the issue in a meaningful way as well. Also, John and Kim have been a dream team to work with, exactly the type of talented, forward-thinking people we need in this business.”
Targeting over 1,000 screens, PoC’s releasing efforts will be led by veteran studio distribution executives Paul Hudson and Greg Forston. Forston is an entertainment industry veteran and one of the most respected film distribution executives in the industry. Having worked at IFC Films, Fine Line Features, Relativity and Overture Films over the course of two decades, Forston has spearheaded the release of numerous box office hits and award-winning films grossing over $1 billion in sales. These have included My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Memento, Law Abiding Citizen, Act of Valor, Safe Haven, Limitless, The Visitor, A Private War and Miss Sloane. Hudson has over 25 years of experience handling major releases for MGM, Miramax, United Artists Paramount Vantage, and Relativity Media.
PoC Studios orchestrates theatrical release campaigns tailored and scoped individually for each film, ranging from limited releases in target markets and platformed rollouts, to wide openings nationwide, depending on the film and fully supported with marketing, advertising and publicity.
