Anthony Chen’s Sundance title ‘Drift’ starring Cynthia Erivo scores UK-Ireland distribution deal (exclusive)
MetFilm Distribution has acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights to Drift, the English-language feature debut of filmmaker Anthony Chen, which stars in and is produced by Cynthia Erivo.
Adapted from Alexander Maksik’s novel A Marker To Measure Drift by Susanne Farrell and Maksik, Drift is a character study of a refugee – played by Erivo – who is struggling to eke out a living on a Greek island, while traumatised by memories of her war-torn country.
Alia Shawkat and Honor Swinton Byrne star alongside Erivo. Memento Films International handles worldwide sales on the title.
Drift debuted in the Premieres strand of Sundance Film Festival in January. It is produced by Peter Spears, Emilie Georges, Naima Abed, Chen, and Erivo and Solome Williams through their Edith’s Daughter production company. Konstantinos Kontovrakis and Giorgos Karnavas of Greece’s Heretic are co-producers.
The film is a co-production between France’s Paradise City Films, Heretic, and the UK’s Fortyninesixty, in association with Cor Cordium, Edith’s Daughter and Giraffe Pictures.
Executive producers are Lauran Bromley, Kevin Sun, Tom Sun, Yaping Li, Erin Xie and Teoh Yi Peng. The film has backing from the UK Global Screen Fund administered by the BFI, and the Greek Film Center.
It is Chen’s third feature. His debut Ilo Ilo was the first Singaporean film to win the Camera d’Or for best debut feature at Cannes, in 2013; he followed that up with 2019’s Wet Season, and also premiered The Breaking Ice in Un Certain Regard at Cannes last month.
MetFilm Distribution is the distribution arm of MetFilm Group, based out of the UK’s Ealing Studios.
