the salt. company

Grabbers screens at Midnight

January 24th, 2012

Jon Wright’s Grabbers screened last night as part of Sundance’s Midnight Section to a thunderous reception. Congratulations to the whole cast and crew.

Matthew Parkhill and Sébastien Foucan talk Twist on the bbc

December 9th, 2011

Parkour advisor Sébastien Foucan and Director Matthew Parkhill discuss Twist, parkour and their open auditions which were held on Saturday 3rd December on the BBC’s flagship BBC Breakfast programme. Check it out here.

Grabbers go to Sundance

December 2nd, 2011

Sundance Institute announced today that Jon Wright’s Grabbers will screen in the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Park City at Midnight section (read announcement here). Grabbers is being released next year by Sony in the UK with other pre-sales to date in Germany (Ascot Elite) and Scandinavia (Mis. Label) amongst others.

Salt pre-sells Twist and Skylab

November 3rd, 2011

As announced on the first day of the AFM, Salt has closed a number of pre-sales on Twist, the Parkour-based update of Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist. Wild Bunch has taken rights for German speaking Europe, Luxor for CIS, Front Row for Middle East, Best Film for China, and Panorama for Hong Kong. Mathew Parkhill (The Caller) will direct the London-set action adventure, currently out to casting, with freerunning founder Sébastien Foucan on board as an adviser.

Salt has also newly boarded $7.5m-budgeted Australian sci-fi Skylab, a monster vs astronauts thriller set on board a NASA space station, with Splendid snapping up rights for German speaking Europe as well as Benelux. Rupert Glasson (Coffin Rock) writes and directs, producers are David Lightfoot (Wolf Creek) and James Vernon (The Eye Of The Storm). The Australia shoot is set for early 2012.

Also on the Salt slate is UK comedy-horror Grabbers, currently in post-production, and completed titles Cleanskin, starring Sean Bean, and newly edited Dirty Girl with Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich and William H Macy.

Salt launches afm 2011 slate with fourth edition of its magazine

November 1st, 2011

Salt is delighted to come into AFM 2011 with a soundly commercial line-up with aliens (Skylab), monsters (Grabbers), 3D Parkour (Twist) and a gun-toting Sean Bean (Cleanskin). Read all about it in the latest edition of Salt’s magazine, available here.

the leisure society score tyrannosaur

October 7th, 2011

paddy considine’s multi-award winning tyrannosaur is released in the uk today, featuring the song we were wasted from The leisure society, signed to salt’s sister company full time hobby (check out the trailer here). Frontman nick hemming was part of indie band She Talks To Angels which included Considine, film director Shane Meadows and bassist Richard Eaton. Hemming wrote and performed music for the films A Room for Romeo Brass and Dead Man’s Shoes.

the nest welcomes 3 new members

September 27th, 2011

the vipers nest is delighted to welcome three new members, in the shape of writer/performer David Reed, writer John Pape and writer/actor Chris Boyle.

weinstein company’s dirty girl website goes live

July 19th, 2011

The Weinstein Company have launched the website for dirty girl, including new artwork, which you can check out here. Director Abe Sylvia has been working tirelessly to reshape the Juno Temple starring film into a 90-minute version “to broaden its appeal” down from the original running time of 109 minutes and salt look forward to screening the finished film in due course. dirty girl is now due for release in the us on 7 october 2011.

Viper Corin Hardy is one of Screen’s Stars of Tomorrow 2011

July 1st, 2011

Salt congratulates vipers nest member, Director Corin Hardy on being selected as one of the stars of tomorrow 2011 by Screen International. You can find out more about Corin here.

Dirty Girl wins audience award

June 21st, 2011

Salt is delighted to announce that Abe Sylvia’s Dirty Girl won the HBO Audience Award Best Narrative Feature at the closing ceremony of the 2011 Provincetown International Film Festival. The film is scheduled for release in the US in August 2011 through The Weinstein Co.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse releases the beast for Salt

May 11th, 2011

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad’s “Mclovin”) is the office loser in Salt’s new comedy Welcome to the Jungle which the company is introducing to buyers in Cannes. In the vein of workplace comedies like Employee of the Month and Waiting, and male buddy movies such as Role Models and Without a Paddle. throw in the warm wit and abject silliness of Apatow and Welcome to the Jungle is a rare beast in today’s market: a comedy which delivers on the laughs – both the high and the low brow.

Salt dives into Dolphin: A 3D Adventure

May 10th, 2011

Salt have been engaged to co-finance, market and sell Amberjack Films’ Dolphin: A 3D Adventure which they will be introducing to distributors and financiers in Cannes.

Principals behind Amberjack are wildlife Director/Producer Andy Byatt (BBC’s Deep Blue, Planet Earth) and Producer Alix Tidmarsh (DisneyNature’s African Cats, Wings of Life, Chimpanzee; BBC’s Deep Blue, Earth).

The People have spoken

April 19th, 2011

Salt has recently completed a raft of sales on audience favourite The People vs George Lucas which went to Wrekin Hill Entertainment for all English-language speaking rights, Initiative Cinema One (a division of BAC Films) for France and Fine Films for Japan. This is in addition to deals previously announced including with Germany’s Capelight Pictures.

Pimienta passes new Puerto Rico incentive

April 5th, 2011

Pimienta’s Luillo Ruiz led an industry group which pushed through new legislation introducing a 20% tax credit on all on-screen talent. This is in addition to the 40% credit on local spend which has also been renewed. Luillo and his team are confident that this will ensure Puerto Rico’s continued popularity as a location for worldwide productions in the face of increased competition. Find out more about Pimienta here.

Paramount releases Killing Bono

April 1st, 2011

Paramount Pictures is releasing salt’s music comedy Killing Bono wide in the UK on Friday 1 April. You can check out the official website here on the film which critics are calling “an extremely enjoyable, very well performed romp”.

Samantha Horley in Project Magazine

February 18th, 2011

Salt’s Samantha Horley is featured in the second edition of the iPad only Project Magazine set up by Richard Branson

Exclusive first look at Grabbers

January 31st, 2011

Shocktillyoudrop.com today revealed the first images on upcoming comedy, horror Grabbers. You can read the full article, including an interview with the director Jon Wirght, and see the images here.

Full text below.

Ascot Elite picks up Grabbers

January 18th, 2011

salt has struck a deal with Ascot Elite to aquire Grabbers for all German language rights.

Grabbers starring Richard Coyle and Russell Tovey, centers on an idyllic Irish fishing village that is invaded by enormous tentacled creatures from the sea, which begin picking off villagers one at a time. The inhabitants soon discover that getting drunk is the only way to survive since the monsters don’t like alcohol.

Grabbers is written by Viper Kevin Lehane and directed by Jon Wright.

read the full article in variety here

Omid Djalili nominated for Best Comedy Performance in London Evening Standard British Film Awards

January 4th, 2011

Omid Djalili’s performance in The Infidel has been honoured with a nomination for a London Evening Standard British Film award in the category for the ‘Peter Sellers Award for Comedy’.

The full list of nominations can be found here.

Killing Bono Poster launches on Empire

December 9th, 2010

The new poster for the eagerly anticipated music comedy Killing Bono is unveiled for the first time today on Empire. To view click here .

Grabbers starts shooting

December 6th, 2010

Principal photography is underway in Belfast and Donegal, Ireland on irreverent Irish comedy horror Grabbers, directed by Jon Wright from an original screenplay by Kevin Lehane. Richard Coyle (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Madonna’s W.E, Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal), Ruth Bradley (Flyboys) and Russell Tovey (The History Boys, Being Human) head the cast.

Director Jon Wright re-teams with producers Tracy Brimm and Kate Myers of Forward Films following their collaboration on 2009 teen horror _Tormented _(released in the UK by Pathé Warners). International sales are being handled by The Salt Company and Sony Pictures has already snapped up UK rights to the project which provides a comic twist on the classic suburban monster horror, as a sleepy Irish fishing village is forced to fend off a blood-sucking sea creature with an unlikely weapon…alcohol.

For more information please read article on screen daily here.

Omid Djalili wins best actor award for The Infidel at the Torino Film Festival

December 5th, 2010

Omid Djalili has won the award for best actor at the 2010 Torino Interantional Film Festival in Italy for his portrayal of Muslim everyman Muhmud in UK comedy “The Infidel”.

Killing Bono trailer unveiled

December 3rd, 2010

The trailer for upcoming music comedy Killing Bono is now available to view exclusively on the Telgraph website here

The film will be released by Paramount in the UK some time in April 2011.

Dirty Girl producer Rob Paris profiled as one of 10 producers to watch in Variety

November 9th, 2010

Rob Paris is a writer’s producer.

After spending nearly a decade as a literary agent, Paris realized his calling wasn’t in getting deals for writers, but rather working with them to get their scripts made. He officially jumped the agency ship in 2003.

“I remember thinking, ‘If I can package movies for other people, I can definitely do it for myself,’ “ he says.

After spending two years at the now-defunct shingle Mission Entertainment, Paris struck out on his own and landed his first producer credit on last year’s “The Maiden Heist,” with Morgan Freeman and William H. Macy. That was followed by writer/director Abe Sylvia’s “Dirty Girl,” a coming-of-age comedy that premiered in Toronto in September and is slated for theatrical release in 2011 via the Weinstein Co.

But when it comes to picking a project to attach his name to, Paris is looking for just one thing: a great story written by a talented writer.

“We’re agnostic when it comes to genre,” he explains. “What’s important is how exquisitely the story is rendered on the page.”

With the help of partner Adam Ripp, Paris launched the shingle Crime Scene Pictures earlier this year. The company provides full financing for pics, of which Paris says four to six will be released in the next three years. “Shoulder Pads,” a musical follow-up to “Dirty Girl,” is among them.

VITAL STATS
Age: 40
Provenance: Sacramento
Inspired by: John Hughes. Paris’ “addiction” began as a child when he began pirating films off HBO with his parents’ Betamax. “My gateway drug was John Hughes. Watching ‘Sixteen Candles‘ and ‘The Breakfast Club’ over and over again, just marveling at the dialogue, the characters, and the performances he got out of those casts. I loved the grounded reality of how those films felt.”
Web: crimescenepictures.net

Issue 2 of the Salt magazine now available to view online

November 2nd, 2010

To view please click here

Previous Issues available here:
01: Cannes 2010

The Infidel among the winners at the first Screen Awards

October 7th, 2010

The Infidel took home the award for Premiere of the Year at the first Screen Awards.

The Infidel was released in the UK by Revolver Entertainment with a gala premiere at the Hammersmith Apollo, one of London’s leading live comedy and music venues. Red carpet arrivals were accompanied by a gospel choir and a perfomance from break-dancers dressed in Burkhas and Hasidic Jew costume. Competition winners of The Infidel’s ‘Which Religion is Funniest’ campaign to find the best religious joke performed live to a sold our screening, before comedians, writer David Baddiel and star Omid Djalili took to the stage to introduce the film. The Infidel went on to be a UK box office hit and is now available on DVD.

Read the full list of winners in Screen here

Dirty Girl causes a stir in Toronto, secures multi-territory deal with The Weinstein Co.

September 15th, 2010

The Weinstein Co. have secured multiple territory rights to Abe Sylvia’s dramedy Dirty Girl, in a deal worth approximately $3 million. It bought rights to the U.S., U.K., France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The deal was closed as the film made its Toronto premiere, but the Weinstein Co. had been keenly interested in the film repped by Graham Taylor’s WME Global and international sales company Salt before the fest began.

Read the full article in variety here.

“I am thrilled to be part of such a sexy, edgy comedy that puts a modern spin on a coming-of -age story,” said Harvey Weinstein. “It’s great to be back in business with some old friends and join forces with new and exciting talent and filmmakers.”

Dirty Girl is positively reviewed by in Screen Daily by Mike Goodridge, who remarked, “First time feature director Abe Sylvia, a former Broadway dancer and choreographer, brings a gleeful sense of human mayhem to his 1980s road movie, a rough-around-the-edges campfest-with-a-heart that should be one of the crowdpleasers at this year’s TIFF. Set in 1987 and featuring a knockout of-the-era soundtrack that will send fortysomethings into a transport of nostalgia, Dirty Girl should have no difficulty connecting with upscale teen audiences – and their parents.”

For the full review please click here

Cherry Tree Lane opens in the UK

September 3rd, 2010

Cherry Tree Lane begins its limited 6 screen theatrical run today.

Selected reviews:

Total Film | ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
“gripping, chilling and scary. A visceral dramatisation of every home-owner’s worst nightmare that plays potently on fears about broken Britain.”

Empire | ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
“…sparse and ingenious thriller”

News of the World | ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
“Combining top-notch craft and strong performances across the board, Cherry Tree Lane is indie filmmaking done very, very right.”

Financial Times | ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
“…very frightening, with an ending cathartic and unexpected, and a last shot whose acidic irony is worthy of Graham Greene.”

Dirty Girl to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival

August 25th, 2010

Dirty Girl will have its world premiere in the Discovery section at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival

Danielle is the dirty girl of Norman High School. When her misbehaviour gets her banished to a remedial class, she teams up with an innocent closet-case and they head out on a road trip to discover themselves. Stars Juno Temple, Dwight Yoakam, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy.

Screening Times

Sunday 12 Sept | 6.30pm | Varsity 8 | Premiere/1st Public Screening

Monday 13 Sept | 12.00 midday | Scotiabank 1 | 1st P&I

Thursday 16 Sept | 12.00 midday | Ryerson | 2nd Public Screening

Friday 17 Sept | 11.45am | Scotiabank 1 | 2nd P&I

More information on the TIFF website here

unkle launch short film trilogy directed by Paul Andrew Williams

August 11th, 2010

UNKLE, managed by Salt sister company Surrender All, have released the short film trilogy, ‘Saviors and Angels‘ written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams (Cherry Tree Lane) featuring UNKLE songs, Caged Bird, The Runaway and Another Night Out

Watch on VIMEO

The People Vs. George Lucas selected as one of ‘the best of the fest’ at Edinburgh

June 22nd, 2010

The People Vs. George Lucas has made the “Best of the Fest” selection at Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Selected reviews:

✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ “hugely entertaining… a must-see” View London

✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ “hugely enjoyable… highly recommended” Edinburgh Film Festival Blog

✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ News Scotsman

Oscar winning composer to score Killing Bono

June 18th, 2010

Stephen Warbeck, the oscar winning composer of Shakespeare in Love will score the music to upcoming comedy Killing Bono.

Stephen joins music supervisor Tarquin Gotch and singer-songwriter Joe Echo who has written a number of original songs for the film. Echo’s previous writing credits include Madonna’s Celebration.

Cherry Tree Lane‘s Ashley Chin selected for Edinburgh trailblazers

June 12th, 2010

Ashley Chin has been selected as one of Edinburgh Film Festival’s twelve Trailblazers, chosen to represent the best and brightest in breakthrough UK talent. Ashley plays plays Asad, one of a gang of youths who invade the home of a middle class family as they sit down to dinner, in the urban horror Cherry Tree Lane, being sold by Salt.

Cherry Tree Lane has it’s world premiere in Edinburgh Film Festival, screening on:
21 June | 19:45 | Cameo 1
25 June | 20:35 | Cameo 1

To book tickets visit the EIFF website

about | asley chin

Ashley began his film career in the critically acclaimed BBC film Storm Damage directed by Lennie James.He then made his theatre debut in Roy Williams’s Lift Off at the Royal Court and later played Razer in the Olivier award-winning play Gone Too Far – a role which he subsequently reprised. Most recently on stage he played the role of Carl in Roy William’s There’s Only One Wayne Matthews at the Polka Theatre. On television he has appeared in The Bill, Holby Blue, The Fixer and Law & Order.

The Infidel continues US theatrical roll out

June 1st, 2010

Following a hugely successful US premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, THE INFIDEL is set to continue its roll out with a series of theatrical openings across the United States

After a strong run in New York, where it screened at the Tribeca cinemas on Varick Street at the beginning of May, the film will open in LA with a grand West Coast premiere on June 23rd at Laemelle’s Sunset 5, where the film will be showing until June 30th.

There are further plans to then bring the film to an additional 20 screens across North America, with dates and cities to be confirmed in due course.

Dirty Girl wraps production

April 30th, 2010

Filming has wrapped on Abe Sylvia’s camp comedy Dirty Girl.

For more information about the shoot, see our interview with Juno Temple, who plays Dirty Girl, in the feature ‘A Dirty Girl Comes Clean’ from our Cannes 2010 edition of the salt magazine (page 16). available here.

Paramount picks up Killing Bono

April 22nd, 2010

Salt has struck a deal with Paramount to acquire Killing Bono for the UK and Ireland.

Nick Hamm’s Irish comedy stars Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian, Easy Virtue) and Robert Sheehan (Season of the Witch) and is based on Neil McCormick’s autobiography. Barnes and Sheehan play hapless brothers who set up a band in Dublin in the late 1970s; unluckily their classmates and rivals go on to become megastars U2.

See the full article on screen daily here.

The Infidel launches in Tribeca

April 21st, 2010

The Infidel is set for it’s US premiere at the Tribeca Film festival on Sunday 25th April. The film has been picked up by the fledgling Tribeca Film for limited theatrical and day-and-date release on VOD concurrent with its Tribeca Film Festival premiere.

For more information on where you can view the film in the united states please see the Tribeca Film website here.

The Infidel | It’s a hit!

April 13th, 2010

The UK’s first week has been a grand success!

The film was released on Friday 9 April, after a giant 3,500 person gala premiere on Thursday night.

Revolver’s smart release strategy really paid off, and despite the odds being against us (the sun came out for the first time in three months) the film scored a whopping $7,000 screen average out performing much bigger players like Clash of the titans and Kick Ass in many of those venues. Cinema managers reported having to turn back punters due to huge demand and regional cinemas are clamoring for access to prints.

Consequently Revolver are doubling the number of prints to at least 60 going into the weekend of 16 April.

The press reactions have also been overwhelmingly strong. The Evening Standard (London’s biggest newspaper) calls it “the summer’s funniest film”. Link to the full review here.

The US premiere will take place at Tribeca on Sunday 25 April and will then roll out in theatres in the US on the back of the festival.

Dirty Girl starts shooting

March 26th, 2010

Filming is underway in Los Angeles on iDeal Partners Film Fund’s comedy Dirty Girl with Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, William H Macy, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw.

View full article on Screen Daily here

Killing Bono wraps production

March 1st, 2010

Killing Bono completed principal photography in Belfast on 19 February.

View feature in screen daily here

Haut et Court picks up Williams’ Cherry Tree Lane

February 11th, 2010

French Distributor, Haut Et Court, takes rights for France and French-speaking Europe to Paul Andrew Williams’ third feature.

Full article on Screen Daily here distributor takes rights for France and French-speaking Europe to Paul Andrew Williams’ third feature. Paris-based Haut et Court has snapped up Paul Andrew Williams’ thriller Cherry Tree Lane for France and French-speaking Europe from sales company Salt. Cherry Tree Lane, Williams’ third feature after London To Brighton and The Cottage, takes place in real time over the course of an evening. The home of an average couple is invaded by a gang of youths, who have come to kill their son as payback for snitching on one of them, who is now in prison as a result. Ken Marshall, Williams’ partner in Steel Mill Pictures, is producing and it will be released in the UK by Metrodome later in the year. The film is financed by the UK Film Council and post-production/financing/producing facility Molinare.

The Infidel | UK Trailer exclusive

February 5th, 2010

The trailer for our comedy THE INFIDEL was unveiled exclusively today on the of The Guardian website. Click here to view

White Lightnin’ scoops top award at Dinard

October 12th, 2009

Dominic Murphy’s White Lightnin’ was handed the Le Hitchcock d’Or (Grand Jury Prize) at this year’s Dinard British Film Festival held in Brittany in France.

Martin Strel swims in for UK Premiere of Big River Man

September 1st, 2009

As reported in the Evening Standard

Edward Hogg wins best acting award at Monterrey for White Lightnin’

August 28th, 2009

Edward Hogg scooped the best acting award for White Lightnin’ for his portrayal of cult mountain dancer Jesco White at the 2009 Monterrey Film Festival in Mexico.

The Infidel website goes live

August 12th, 2009

The Infidel website goes live…

Cherry Tree Lane wraps production

August 1st, 2009

Shooting on Cherry Tree Lane wrapped at the end of July after a short and intense production.

salt closes key pre-sales on the infidel

July 9th, 2009

london-based sales and financing outfit the salt company has confirmed a number of key pre-sales closed during and after cannes on its uk comedy the infidel which is now in post-production.

big river man is a must see at la film fest

June 17th, 2009

la times picks big river man as one of its must sees at the los angeles film festival where the documentary screens on june 20 10pm at majestic crest and june 24 2:15pm at landmark 8.