Toronto Film Festival Dailies

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WILD ROSE FEATURES A BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE BY JESSIE BUCKLEY AS ASPIRING COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER 

FILM WAS FINANCED BY eOne, BFI FILM FUND CREATIVE SCOTLAND AND FILM4.

Toronto (September 9, 2018) - After an all-night negotiation, NEON is excited to announce it has nabbed US rights to Tom Harper’s WILD ROSE which premiered Saturday evening at Toronto International Film Festival to a rapturous standing ovation.  The inspiring musical dramedy features a breakout performance by Jessie Buckley as aspiring country music singer Rose-Lynn Harlan who dreams of leaving her dreary life in Glasgow for America's country music capital, Nashville. Faye Ward produced the film via her Fable Pictures banner and it was financed by Entertainment One (eOne), BFI Film Fund, Creative Scotland and Film4.

The film stars Jessie Buckley in a dazzling performance as Rose-Lynn, the always incredible Julie Walters as Rose’s mother and Sophie Okonedo as Rose’s very lovely, very posh employer.  With an adept hand, Tom Harper directs Nicole Taylor’s beautifully complicated, nuanced screenplay, written as a love letter to her hometown of Glasgow. Natascha Wharton, Leslie Finlay, Alison Owen, Xavier Marchand and Polly Stokes executive produced the film. eOne will distribute the film directly across its footprint, including Canada and plans to release the film in the U.K. in February of 2019.

WILD ROSE tells the complicated story of Rose-Lynn, a woman on a quest to become a country music star, while also grappling with the responsibilities of being recently released from prison and a young mother of two children.

NEON says, “We were absolutely blown away by the stunning performances of this almost-all female cast. For us, the story is about so much more than the incredible music - it examines the sometimes-conflicting relationships between mothers and their children and explores the realities of pursuing one’s dreams in the face of responsibility.”  They added, “NEON couldn’t be more excited to introduce these characters and Jessie Buckley to audiences."

The domestic deal was negotiated by NEON with CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales of the film are being handled by eOne’s Sierra/Affinity who will distribute to the rest of the world outside of eOne territories.

About NEON

Founded in 2016, NEON is an award-winning independent film distribution studio.  Its debut film was Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal, starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis.  NEON was an active player at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, acquiring Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Monsters & Men, winner of the Sundance Dramatic Special Jury Award for Outstanding First Feature; Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation; and Tim Wardle’s Three Identical Strangers, winner of the Sundance Special Jury Award for Storytelling.  NEON had a record-breaking year with the release of the runaway hit winner I, Tonya, directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Margot Robbie and 2018 Oscar Winner for Best Supporting, Actress Allison Janney. Eliza Hittman’s Sundance Award Winner Beach Rats, Matt Spicer’s Sundance and Spirit Award Winner Ingrid Goes West; Laura Poitras’s RISK, Ana Lily Amirpour’s Venice Award Winner The Bad Batch and Errol Morris’, The B-Side.  Other recent NEON releases include Aaron Katz’s Gemini; and the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival Opening Night film by Janus Metz, Borg Vs McEnroe; and Coralie Fargeat’s groundbreaking feature film debut Revenge.  After their successful collaboration on I, Tonya, in January 2018, 30WEST (Dan Friedkin’s and Micah Green’s strategic venture) partnered with NEON’s Tom Quinn (Founder & CEO) and Tim League (Co-Founder) to become the majority investors in the company.

About Entertainment One

Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company’s diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales; family programming, merchandising and licensing; digital content; and live entertainment. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.

Entertainment One’s robust network includes MAKEREADY with Brad Weston; content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; unscripted television production companies Whizz Kid Entertainment and Renegade 83; live entertainment leaders Round Room Entertainment; world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning emerging content and technology studio Secret Location.

The Company's rights library, valued at US$1.7 billion (as at 31 March 2017), is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 80,000 hours of film and television content and approximately 40,000 music tracks.

About CAA

Leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) represents many of the most successful and innovative professionals working in film, television, music, video games, theatre, commercial endorsements, and digital content, and provides a range of strategic marketing and consulting services to corporate clients.  CAA is also a leader in sports, representing more than 1,700 of the world’s top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf, and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, licensing, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities.  

About UTA

Leading global talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency represents many of the most acclaimed figures across film, television, news, music, sports, theater, fine art, literature, video games, podcasts and other social and digital content. A passionate advocate for artists, creators and innovators, the company also is recognized in the areas of film finance and packaging, branding, licensing and endorsements. UTA is known for its dedicated digital media group helping clients—from A-list talent to Fortune 500 companies—capitalize on a rapidly changing entertainment, media and business landscape. The agency's worldwide presence includes its Los Angeles headquarters and offices in New York, London, Nashville, Miami and Malmö, Sweden. Information about UTA can also be found by following the company on social media on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.