Kino Lorber Acquires Oren Shai’s Noir Thriller
THE FRONTIER for North American Distribution
“Visually stunning.”
Vanity Fair
“The first phenomenal film I’ve seen of the festival [SXSW].”
Harry Knowles, Ain’t It Cool
“A timeless pulp world, one that purloins from 30s seedy gangsters,
50s greasers, and 70s slick crime.”
The Austin Chronicle
Rocking Films and Dana Lustig Productions are pleased to announce that Kino Lorber has acquired all North American distribution rights to director Oren Shai’s debut feature film, THE FRONTIER, a noir thriller penned by Shai and Webb Wilcoxen, about a female drifter who discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to escape with their stolen cash. An official selection of SXSW 2015, this riveting neo-noir keeps viewers guessing to the last exhilarating shot.
THE FRONTIER stars Jocelin Donahue (THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, INSIDIOUS 2, “StartUp”) together with two-time Independent Spirit Award-nominee Kelly Lynch (“Magic City,” DRUGSTORE COWBOY); Jim Beaver (CRIMSON PEAK, “Deadwood,” “Supernatural”); Izabella Miko (STEP UP ALL IN, “Deadwood,” COYOTE UGLY); Jamie Harris (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” KNIGHT OF CUPS); AJ Bowen (THE SACRAMENT, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL); and Liam Aiken (THE KILLER INSIDE ME, NED RIFLE).
Filmed in the California desert on Super 16mm, THE FRONTIER weaves elements of classic noir, American western, and the hard-boiled paperbacks of the ‘50s to create a timeless world within which the film’s colorful characters roam. Shadowy, textured, and wonderfully lush, THE FRONTIER actually looks like it popped out of the front cover of a gritty paperback novel.
“We’re genuinely excited to add THE FRONTIER to our Fall release schedule.” Said Bret Wood, the Kino Lorber VP who pursued the acquisition. “Kino Lorber has a long history of releasing classic noir, and is also a front-runner in discovering new indie film talent, which makes THE FRONTIER a perfect fit in our library. We think Oren Shai’s visually striking directorial debut will appeal to fans of classic and contemporary film alike, and we look forward to helping the film find a wider audience.”
THE FRONTIER producer Dana Lustig is also the force behind the forthcoming feature film JUNGLE, directed by Greg McLean and starring Daniel Radcliffe. Over the course of more than two decades, Lustig’s passion for independent film has led her to produce over twenty features and direct five.
Israeli-born director Oren Shai’s short films played festivals across the world and garnered praise by IndieWire, USA Today, and Film Threat among many others. His writing has appeared in film publications in the United States, Israel, Italy, and Spain. In THE FRONTIER, Shai’s feature film debut, he draws from the diverse worlds of silent cinema, hard-boiled noir, pulp magazines, 1950s rock and roll, and Hollywood glamour to create a precise and enthralling vision all his own.
“I couldn’t imagine a better home for THE FRONTIER than Kino Lorber,” say director Shai. “They share a love of cinema that characterizes both our movie and me personally. In fact, they’ve released many films that influenced THE FRONTIER to begin with (I’m looking at you, Louise Brooks!). I’m thrilled to be a part of this phenomenal label.”
Select theatrical engagements will be followed by a DVD/Blu-ray/multi-platform VOD release.