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BYRON ALLEN’S FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA ACQUIRES ‘DEAR ZOE’, STARRING SADIE SINK
Releasing on November 4th in select theaters and VOD platforms, the film also features Theo Rossi, Jessica Capshaw, Justin Bartha, Vivien Lyra Blair, and Kweku Collins
Los Angeles, CA – July 19, 2022 – DEAR ZOE, a powerful coming-of-age story of love, loss, grief and resilience starring Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), has been acquired by Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media and is set to be released in select theaters and on demand beginning November 4, 2022. The cast also includes Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy, ARMY OF THE DEAD), Jessica Capshaw (Grey’s Anatomy, HOLIDATE), Justin Bartha (THE HANGOVER, NATIONAL TREASURE), Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi, BIRD BOX), and rapper, songwriter, and producer Kweku Collins, who will be making his feature film acting debut as the love interest.
DEAR ZOE follows Tess (Sadie Sink), her mother Elly (Jessica Capshaw), stepfather David (Justin Bartha), and little sister Emily (Vivien Lyra Blair) in the aftermath of the unimaginable loss of Tess’s other little sister, Zoe (Mckenzie Noel Rusiewicz). Struggling with a sea of emotions, Tess embarks on a journey where she finds support from surprising sources: her biological father, Nick (Theo Rossi) a lovable slacker from the wrong side of the tracks, and the charming juvenile delinquent next door, Jimmy (Kweku Collins). Nick and Jimmy provide Tess the time and space she needs to breathe, to live life, to have new adventures, and ultimately to be in a better place to deal with the loss of little Zoe.
Adapted from Philip Beard’s award-winning novel, Dear Zoe, with a screenplay by Marc Lhormer and Melissa Martin (A WEDDING FOR BELLA), the feature film is directed by Gren Wells (THE ROAD WITHIN, A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN, LIFE HAPPENS) and is produced by Zin Haze Productions’ Brenda Lhormer and Marc Lhormer (BOTTLE SHOCK).
“From the moment we read Philip Beard’s beautiful, inspirational and heartbreaking novel, we knew we had to adapt it for the screen. Loss is universally-relatable, touching all of us at some point in our lives,” explains Zin Haze Productions’ Brenda Lhormer. “Festival audiences have laughed and cried and shared their own stories of loss and love and support, with us and with each other. We look forward to DEAR ZOE spreading a wave of warm feelings around the world.”
“This is a universal story of loss and healing,” explains Freestyle Digital Media’s Head of Digital Film Distribution, Bill Vergos. “You get to feel the full range of emotions as with all great films, and that’s how we knew we wanted to be part of it. Not to mention, Sadie’s performance is outstanding.”
Additional production team members include Independent Producers’ Peter Phok (X, MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND) and Christopher H. Warner (WIND RIVER, FIVE FEET APART) as well as Co-Producer Megan Goedewaagen (Pride, Shark Week), Executive Producers Lizzie Friedman of Priority Pictures (MOMENTUM GENERATION, THE LAND), Keith and Leslie Blodgett, and Resonate Entertainment’s Brent Emery (THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, CARRIE PILBY), Susan Cartsonis (WHAT WOMEN WANT, THE DUFF), and Suzanne Farwell (IT’S COMPLICATED, THE INTERN).
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire DEAR ZOE directly with producers Brenda and Marc Lhormer and Babacar Diene of Paradigm Talent Agency.
For more information and to keep up to date on DEAR ZOE, follow along on Instagram (@dearzoemovie), Twitter (@dearzoemovie), and TikTok (@dearzoemovie) or visit dearzoemovie.com.
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About Zin Haze Productions
Zin Haze Productions LLC is the production company of Brenda and Marc Lhormer. Brenda and Marc are the producers of DEAR ZOE and BOTTLE SHOCK which tells the tale of California Vintners triumphing over the French at the infamous 1976 Judgment of Paris wine competition. BOTTLE SHOCK premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed independently to over 400 theaters across the U.S., and to every foreign film market. Brenda and Marc ran the Sonoma Valley Film Festival from 2002 to 2008 before founding the Napa Valley Film Festival from 2010 through 2018. Zin Haze Productions and the Lhormers are based in Sonoma, CA.
About Freestyle Digital Media
The digital distribution unit of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, Freestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films. Recent releases include BEST SUMMER EVER the teen musical featuring a fully integrated cast and crew of people with and without disabilities, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, THE WEDDING YEAR starring Sarah Hyland and Anna Camp, THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH starring Danny Houston, BERSERK starring Nick Cannon, UNTOGETHER starring Jamie Doran, Jemima Kirke, Ben Mendelsohn, Alice Eve and Billy Crystal. Other Freestyle titles include the action-comedy BETTER START RUNNING starring Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons and Maria Bello, THE BACHELORS starring Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons, Julie Delpy and Odeya Rush, the award-winning documentary HONDROS produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Jake Gyllenhaal, horror documentary DEMON HOUSE starring Zak Bagans, host of Travel Channel’s highest rated show Ghost Adventures, sci-fi thriller THE RECALL starring Wesley Snipes, MILES starring Molly Shannon and Paul Reiser and the animated feature HELL & BACK starring Nick Swardson, Mila Kunis and Bob Odenkirk.
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