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After announcing its relaunch earlier this month, 1091, which was formally known as The Orchard Film Group, has made its first acquisition, snagging North American distribution rights to the Hannah Pearl Utt-directed Sundance film, Before You Know It. Utt, who made her directorial debut with this feature, also stars opposite Jen Tullock, Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, Mike Colter, and Alec Baldwin. 1091 is aiming to release the film in theaters sometime during the second half of 2019.

Written by Utt and Tullock, the pic thrusts co-dependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera after a long-kept family secret is revealed, taking them on a journey that proves that you really can come of age, at any age.

Mallory Schwartz, Josh Hetzler, and James Brown produced the project. Executive producers are Giri Tharan, Donna and Kevin Gruneich, Eric and Susan Fredston-Hermann, Mary Jane Skalski, Robin Bronk, Tim Daly, and Brian DeVine.

Hannah Pearl Utt’s feature directorial debut to open theatrically this year.

In the first acquisition announcement since The Orchard film group was rebranded as 1091, the company has picked up North American rights to Sundance entry Before You Know It.

Hannah Pearl Utt’s feature directorial debut stars Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, Mike Colter and Alec Baldwin alongside Utt and Jen Tullock and premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition in January.

1091 plans a theatrical release in the second half of the year on the story of co-dependent, thirty-something sisters who must deal with a startling family revelation.

Utt and Tullock...

1091 has acquired the North American distribution rights to the 2019 Sundance comedy “Before You Know It,” the company’s first theatrical pick up under their new name since changing from The Orchard, 1091 announced Thursday.

Hannah Pearl Utt’s feature directorial debut played in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance, and 1091 is planning to release the film in the second half of 2019.

Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, Mike Colter and Alec Baldwin star in the film alongside Utt and Jen Tullock. “Before You Know It” thrusts co-dependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera after they learn that their mother they thought was long dead is alive and starring on a soap opera. Utt and Tullock co-wrote the screenplay.

Also Read: Daniel Stein Named Executive Chairman of 1091, Formerly The Orchard

The film was produced by Mallory Schwartz, Josh Hetzler and James Brown. Executive producers on the film are Giri Tharan,...

The 2019 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled their impressive lineup of independent films.

I love going to Sundance. It’s one of my favorite movie events to attend. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because they are all fresh and original films that tell original stories! For the most part there aren’t a lot of remakes, reboots, and sequels, which are mostly the kinds of films that fill theaters these days.

On top of that, you never know what you’re going to get when you walk into a screening. It could be complete and utter crap, or it could be one of the best films you’ve ever seen. It’s thrilling!

This coming year, The Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 24th to February 3rd, 2019 in Park City, Ut. Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, had this to say in...

Last year’s U.S. Dramatic Competition gave us offerings such as Bart Layton’s American Animals, Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, Paul Dano’s Wildlife and the section winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan. This year we have Alma Har’el’s Honey Boy (see pic above), Justin Chon’s Ms. Purple, Pippa Bianco’s Share and Joe Talbot’s heavily anticipated The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Here are the sixteen competing titles:

Before You Know It / U.S.A. — A long-kept family secret thrusts codependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera.…...

It’s time to get a peek at the major films of next year. The 2019 Sundance Film Festival have unveiled their lineup today, which can be seen below along with stills where available. Check back in January for our coverage from the festival.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Wildlife, Eighth Grade, Sorry to Bother You, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Swiss Army Man. 53% of the directors in this year’s U.S. Dramatic Competition are women; 41% are people of color; 18% identify as Lgbtqia+.

Before You Know It / U.S.A. — A long-kept family secret thrusts codependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera. A journey that proves that you really can come of age,...

Alec Baldwin, Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin and Mike Colter are shooting the indie film Stupid Happy in New York. The film is being directed by Hannah Pearl Utt, who wrote the script with Jen Tullock. Utt and Tullock are part of the ensemble along with Oona Yaffe and Tim Daly.

After their playwright father’s death, sisters Rachel and Jackie discover that the mother they thought died when they were young is alive and starring on a soap opera.

Pic is produced by Mallory Schwartz alongside Josh Hetzler, James Brown and Baldwin. Pic’s a co-production between El Dorado Pictures, Lifeboat Productions, Ball & Chain Productions and Feracious Entertaiment.

Pic was supported by the Sundance Institute through the directing, writing and creative producing labs, as well as their new initiative Sundance Catalyst Women.

Exclusive: IFC is in talks to acquire Anesthesia, the Tim Blake Nelson drama in which he stars with Kristen Stewart, Glenn Close, Sam Waterston and Gretchen Mol. Scripted and directed by Nelson, the drama concerns the intersection of characters after the violent mugging of a Columbia University prof. The film premiered at Tribeca, but the deal making is getting done here at Cannes. Nelson is producing with Julie Buck, Josh Hetzler, John Molli, Nelson and Christopher J…...

While Tiff has become film premiere terrain for his last director outings (the horribly timed post 9/11 released The Grey Zone and 2009′s Leaves of Grass), Tim Blake Nelson could be deemed as a return customer in Sundance folklore. His stacked resume at Sundance includes his first three premiered and/or workshopped outings (includes his short Kansas), and he is rooted at the Institute, being a Creative Advisor in the Directors Lab on four separate occasions. Employing the mapped out ensemble narrative strategy for his fifth feature film, the multi-tasker called upon a team of fellow thesps in Gretchen Mol, Corey Stoll, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jessica Hecht, Hannah Marks, Glenn Close, Scott Cohen, Sam Waterston and team captain Kristen Stewart (see pap pic above) for Anesthesia. Production on the New York City set drama began late last year, so despite turning into James Franco’s muse (five straight feature films) he...

Katie Chang has joined the cast of Tim Blake Nelson's upcoming indie film Anesthesia. Glenn Close, Gretchen Mol, Sam Waterson and Kristen Stewart are also attached.

The project is set in New York and follows a group of people whose lives come together when Columbia University professor Walter Zarrow (Sam Waterson) is violently mugged. Katie Chang will be playing Amy, a love interest for Walter Zarrow's grandson.

Tim Blake Nelson is directing from a script he wrote. He is also producing alongside Julie Buck, Josh Hetzler and Christopher Scott.

Katie Chang made her big screen debut as Rebecca in Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring. She will next be seen in Robert Meyer's comedy A Birder's Guide to Everything.

The film has already begun production in New York City.

Katie Chang, the young up and coming star who made her big screen debut in this year's The Bling Ring , has, according to The Hollywood Reporter , joined the cast of writer-director Tim Blake Nelson's Anesthesia opposite Glenn Close, Gretchen Mol, Kristen Stewart, Sam Waterson and Nelson himself. Anesthesia , an original screenplay by Nelson, follows a group of individuals who are brought together after a Columbia University Professor, Walter Zarrow, (Waterson) becomes the victim of a violent mugging. Chang can also be seen coming up in director Rob Meyer's A Birders Guide to Everything opposite Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Kingsley and James LeGros. Anesthesia is now filming in New York City with Julie Buck, Josh Hetzler, Christopher Scott, and Nelson himself producing....