Yahoo Finance Berlin Film Festival Drama ‘Beans’ Scores U.S. Deal With FilmRise — EFM
EXCLUSIVE: New York-based distributor FilmRise has struck a deal with sales firm WaZabi Films for U.S. rights to TIFF 2020 and Berlin 2021 drama Beans.
The coming-of-age story about a twelve-year-old Mohawk girl forced to grow up fast during the 1990 Indigenous uprising known as The Oka Crisis, played at the Toronto International Film Festival — where director Tracey Deer won the TIFF Emerging Talent prize — and is an Official Selection at the Berlinale, 2021.
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Deer is an Indigenous woman whose own experiences from the crisis inspired her to write the movie. Anne-Marie Gélinas of EMAFilms produces.
Cast includes Kiawentiio, Violah Beauvais, Rainbow Dickerson and Joel Montgrand. The film also played at festivals including Vancouver, Sao Paulo and Los Cabos.
The deal was negotiated by Katie Carroll, Manager, Independent Film Acquisitions at FilmRise, and Anick Poirier Co-President at WaZabi Films.
Danny Fisher, FilmRise CEO commented: “Beans is a perfect addition to our library of films showcasing important stories from underrepresented populations. Deer has created a powerful, eye-opening perspective about an historic event that shook the Indigenous community of Quebec exactly 30 years ago.”
“We are thrilled with all the honors that the Berlinale, TIFF and others have given us, and now Tracey’s voice and vision will be carried in the US with FilmRise. Our film’s story is so relevant to the times that we are currently living,” added producer Anne-Marie Gélinas.
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