William Morris Endeavor Agency has secured worldwide sales for Italian-American Jana Arriata’s feature debut, “Reeling.” The film was executive produced by Werner Herzog and premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March.
“Reeling,” which bowed in the Narrative Feature Competition at SXSW, takes place during a birthday luau weekend on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and follows Ryan, a young man suffering from amnesia caused by an accident, as he attempts to reunite with his family. This dark drama stars Ryan Westewald, Hans Christopher, and Nicky DeParis. Executive producers are Herzog, Thomas Kosasa, and Nicole McNaughton.
As previously announced, indie distributor Future of Film is Female, in partnership with Neon, will release the film in U.S. theaters on March 18th at the Los Feliz American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, with a national release to follow. Digital distribution will be handled by Tribeca Films, a distribution label of Tribeca Enterprises and Giant Pictures, with “Reeling” arriving on VOD platforms in July following its U.S. theatrical release.
WME Independent now joins ‘Reeling’ to represent global sales.
Arriata emphasized in a statement that “Werner Herzog’s encouragement from screenplay to film was invaluable,” and said that the storyline for “Reeling” stems from her personal experience.
“While on vacation, I was attending my best friend’s annual birthday luau. My family and friends and I were at home in Hawaii, and the events of that day inspired the film, which was shot in the same location a year later,” Arriata said. “‘Reeling’ comes from a very personal place, growing up on Oahu and wanting to tell a psychological drama about family, memory, and the rebuilding of masculinity.”
Additionally, “partnering with WME Independent on the sales side will allow this film to reach a global audience and share a story rooted in the local Hawaiian experience.”
Arriata co-wrote the screenplay for Reeling with Amy Miner. She is currently developing a horror ghost thriller set in Hawaii, which she will both write and direct.
Watch the exclusive trailer for “Reeling” below.
