TLA Releasing, a subsidiary of TLA Entertainment Group, has acquired the award-wining British film SHANK for North America, the UK and Ireland markets. Unique in its treatment of gang culture, the thrilling drama fuses sex and violence with fast paced action and turns the coming-out genre on its head. The film takes no prisoners and the brutal and emotionally draining denouement to this sexy, violent and multi-layered story has electrified gay festival audiences worldwide. SHANK will get a limited theatrical release in September ‘09 in the US and UK before its DVD at the end of 2009. The deal was negotiated by TLA’s Director of Production Derek Curl and SHANK’s writer and producer Christian Martin.
Directed by 21-year-old newcomer Simon Pearce, who won The Roger Walker-Dack award for Emerging Talent in Queer Cinema at the recent Miami Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, and written and produced by gay creative team Christian Martin and Darren Flaxstone, the film follows the life of teenage gang member, Cal (Wayne Virgo) who hides his secret gay sex life from fellow hoodlums. Cal rescues a university student mid queer-bashing and begins to discover a gentler side to love and lust. But a vile and astute fellow female gang member pursues her suspicions that there’s more to Cal than he’s letting on. Shocking revelations amongst these polarizing personalities lead to a brutal and twisted outcome that is both shocking and extreme in its conclusion to this unique treatment of the contemporary underclass.
TLA President Raymond Murray says, “SHANK is an original and controversial drama of working class youth and sexuality. It is fresh and young and we expect the film to be well-received with audiences. We are excited about releasing the film and can’t wait to see the public’s reaction.”
“It was a risk working with a young, inexperienced cast and first-time director but this award, along with the international audience support for the film validates the courage of our conviction to push the gay genre in a new direction,” said writer and producer Christian Martin. “May it be the first of many – we’re delighted and now hungry to get it out to an international audience.”
SHANK has created a real excitement and buzz among international lesbian and gay film festival programmers, evidenced by bookings to date in over 30 cities.