Cannes Market Dailies

The rider director

Protagonist Pictures has come on board to handle worldwide sales on the Directors’ Fortnight 2017 Official Selection The Rider, written and directed by Chloé Zhao (Songs My Brothers Taught Me), it was announced today by Protagonist Pictures CEO Mike Goodridge. This is Zhao’s second feature and second film selected for Directors’ Fortnight.

Based on his true story, the film stars Brady Jandreau along with Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Lane Scott and Cat Clifford. While visiting the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for her first feature Songs My Brothers Taught Me, Zhao connected with a group of Lakota cowboys including Brady and wrote The Rider around his tragic and ultimately universal story.

Once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, young cowboy Brady is warned that his competition days are over after a tragic riding accident. Back home, Brady finds himself wondering what he has to live for when he can no longer do what gives him a sense of purpose: to ride and compete. In an attempt to regain control of his fate, Brady undertakes a search for new identity and tries to redefine his idea of what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.

“The Rider is a film of great beauty and poetry,” said Goodridge. “I was a huge admirer of Chloé’s first feature Songs My Brothers Taught Me, and her story of the young cowboy Brady is another indelible portrait of contemporary rural Americans. Brady – playing himself as Brady Blackburn – is magnetic on screen and the soulfulness of his presence is unforgettable."

The project was produced by Highwayman Films (Zhao’s company), Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche of Caviar Films, and Mollye Asher. Caviar’s Michael Sagol and Jasper Thomlinson serve as executive producers.

Protagonist Pictures will launch sales on the title in Cannes. The company is co-repping the domestic rights with WME Global.  The Rider is one of two projects selected for Directors’ Fortnight that Protagonist is handling – the second is The Florida Project, co-written and directed by Sean Baker starring Willem Dafoe.

Chloé Zhao is the Chinese writer, director and producer whose 2015 feature debut Songs My Brothers Taught Me premiered in US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival followed by its Directors’ Fortnight selection. The film was nominated for three 2016 Independent Spirit Awards.

About Caviar

Caviar is an award winning entertainment company with offices in Los Angeles and across Europe. Caviar’s business is rooted in Film, TV, Post Production, digital, music videos, and branded content; representing a large roster of impressive commercial directors.

About Protagonist Pictures

Protagonist Pictures is an international finance, production and sales company which has a proven track record in outstanding films and commercial successes. Based in the UK, the company handles films from around the world, always maintaining a strong focus on filmmakers with exceptional vision and storytelling skills.

Protagonist’s current successes on release around the world include Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire with its ensemble cast of Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley and Jack Reynor; Adam Smith’s Trespass Against Us starring Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleesson, Charlie McDowell’s The Discovery with Rooney Mara, Jason Segel and Robert Redford, William Oldroyd’s TIFF 2016 buzz feature Lady Macbeth and the 2017 Directors’ Fortnight selection The Florida Project from Sean Baker. Currently in post-production are Clio Barnard’s Dark River, Richard Loncraine’s Finding Your Feet and Amma Asante’s Where Hands Touch, whilst Pawel Pawilkowski’s Cold War and Kristoffer Nyholm’s Keepers are currently shooting.

www.protagonistpictures.com