27 May DEADLINE: Freestyle Digital Media Acquires North American Rights to Biographical Crime Drama ‘Marlene’ – Film Briefs
EXCLUSIVE: Freestyle Digital Media has acquired North American rights to writer-director Dean Peterson’s dramedy Kendra and Beth, as well as U.S. rights to Wendy Hill-Tout’s biographical crime drama, Marlene. The digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group plans to release the former title across internet and satellite platforms on June 7, unveiling the latter across platforms on June 21.
Kendra and Beth tells the story of Kendra (Eleanore Pienta), a woman stuck in the monotony of her daily life who finds a lifeline when live-wire waitress Beth (Kate Lyn Sheil) crashes into her life. Peterson and Reilly Myklebust produced the film, which also stars Whitmer Thomas, Catherine Curtain, Phil Matarese and Jon Gabrus.
Marlene tells a story inspired by Marlene Truscott (Kristin Booth), a housewife who fought to exonerate her husband from a crime he didn’t commit. Marlene became involved in the fight for justice at a young age, when Steven was arrested at 14 and sentenced to be hung. When Steven was released from prison 10 years later, she fell in love with him. Her story is a story of hiding, living under an assumed name and protecting her children. He was free, but now she was in prison. Through it all, Marlene was determined that Steven would get justice, and that they would find light in the darkness—a darkness that buried the truth. Hill-Tout and Cathy Ostlere wrote the pic, which also stars Greg Bryk, Julia Sarah Stone, Dempsey Bryk, Maxim Roy and Ryan Northcott. Hill-Tout and Michael Peterson served as its producers.
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal for Kendra and Beth with Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films, negotiating the deal for Marlene with Justin Rebelo of Vortex Media. Check out the trailers for both films below.