Seed&Spark Teams with Paladin to Acquire Comedy 'This is Happening'. The crowdfunding p
Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly popular internet phenomenon, and Seed&Spark is building on its success in the field. After expanding into VOD and distribution, the platform has announced that it has paired with distributor Paladin, which recently released "What We Do in the Shadows," to acquire rights to the comedy "This is Happening." The film was funded through Seed&Spark and it marks the debut of writer-director Ryan Jaffe. It stars James Wolk (CBS’ “Zoo”), Mickey Sumner ("Frances Ha") and Academy Award and Emmy winner Cloris Leachman.
The official synopsis reads: "Philip (Wolk) and Megan (Sumner) [are] two completely incompatible siblings charged with the responsibility of delivering their elderly--and unwilling—grandmother, Estelle, (Leachman)--to an assisted-living facility. When she runs away, they give chase, and the film turns into a classic road movie that also involves a stolen car, a hidden stash of five pounds of marijuana and the stuffed body of a dearly-departed Shitzu named Ralph."
"We are so thrilled to have our first film going through our entire ecosystem from crowd-funding to widespread distribution. It speaks so strongly to what we believe in creating a sustainable system for filmmakers to have access to every tool to develop, create, and distribute their films. 'This is Happening' was a wonderful campaign, and we are so excited to be able to translate that traction into a resounding release," said Emily Best, CEO of Seed&Spark.
Mark Urman, the founder and CEO of Paladin, added, "'This Is Happening' is a smart, funny, and enormously entertaining film that boasts terrific performances from two talented emerging actors and a sensational turn by one of our most beloved and honored veterans. We are excited to be partnering with Seed&Spark on an innovative, custom-tailored release strategy that can bring this film to the right audience in exactly the right way."
"This is Happening" will hit theaters on October 2.