Sundance

"Tangerine," Sean Baker’s film produced by the Duplass Brothers and Through Films, has been one of the most critically acclaimed and groundbreaking films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

PARK CITY, UT (January 27, 2015) – Magnolia Pictures announced today that the company is acquiring worldwide distribution rights to TANGERINE, which has been one of the most talked about films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Magnolia has acquired the film for a traditional theatrical release nationwide later this year. TANGERINE, written and directed by Sean Baker and co-written by Chris Bergoch, premiered in the NEXT section at Sundance on Friday and has received universally positive reviews.

TANGERINE stars trans actresses Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, making their big-screen debuts as two working girls in search of a wayward pimp on a fateful Christmas Eve in Hollywood.  Frequent Baker thespians James Ransone and Karren Karagulian also star. TANGERINE was exeuctive produced by the Duplass Brothers and produced by Through Films and Baker's longtime collaborators Darren Dean and Shih-Ching Tsou. The film was lensed by Radium Cheung.

This is the second Sundance acquisition for Magnolia; the company also acquired Andrew Bujalski’s RESULTS, starring Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders. 

About the acquisition, Baker says, “The TANGERINE team is overjoyed to find a home at Magnolia Pictures and are humbled to be a part of their roster of prestigious, bold and forward-thinking films. I'm personally thrilled that Magnolia recognizes the theatrical potential of TANGERINE. Audiences will have the chance to see it on the big screen, the way it was intended to be experienced.”

Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles says of TANGERINE, “It’s got as many laugh-out-loud moments as any film I’ve seen in years, along with heart and empathy. Sean Baker is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and the ensemble cast is a revelation.” 

Jay & Mark Duplass note, "Starting with HUMPDAY, Magnolia has proven to us over and over again that genre and marquee names don’t mean everything in indie film, and that they will passionately get behind a wild movie like Sean Baker’s TANGERINE simply because it is unique, inspired, and flat out entertaining."

Through Films’ Karrie and Marcus Cox add that “TANGERINE is a bold and energetic film and Magnolia's creativity and passion for cinema make them the perfect partner. This is such a special film for us and we are confident they will take great care of it as it finds its way into the world.”

The deal was negotiated by Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley and Director of Acquisitions John Von Thaden with Jessica Lacy at ICM Partners and Josh Braun of Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers.

Magnolia Pictures will release the film later this year.

About Magnolia Pictures:

Magnolia Pictures is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain and AXS TV. Recent releases include Swedish Oscar selection and Golden Globe nominee FORCE MAJEURE and acclaimed documentary LIFE ITSELF, the winner of the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Documentary. Other 2014 titles include WHITEY, Lars Von Trier’s NYMPHOMANIAC, Richard Ayoade’s dystopian vision THE DOUBLE, ALAN PARTRIDGE starring Steve Coogan, Lenny Abrahamson’s FRANK, Joe Swanberg’s HAPPY CHRISTMAS, Lukas Moodysson’s WE ARE THE BEST!, LIFE PARTNERS starring Leighton Meister and Gillian Jacobs and FRONTERA. Upcoming releases include Roy Andersson’s A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE, Albert Maysles’ charming Iris Apfel documentary IRIS, Australian sex comedy THE LITTLE DEATH, Hungarian Oscar selection WHITE GOD, BALLET 422, a documentary featuring New York City Ballet and Justin Peck, the exhilarating documentary SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, Susanne Bier’s SERENA, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, and Andrew Bujalski’s Sundance Premiere RESULTS.