The sports drama “Christie,” about Christie Martin, received rave reviews for the transformation of Sidney Sweeney, who played the role of a former professional boxer who endured triumphs and tragedies in a career that broke barriers. But it’s also a chance for Votive, the rough-and-tumble production company that helped develop the film, to step into the center of the ring.
“We are trying to marry art and commerce,” says Votiv founder and CEO Brent Stiefel. “We founded this business to support artists and make their visions come true. It’s important because it’s really hard to build a career in the arts. If we can support that while running a sustainable business, we’ll be successful.”
“Christie,” which opens Friday, is the most high-profile film in the company’s history and embodies the artist-driven stories that Votive wants to continue creating.
“This was a project that we had the opportunity to purchase the rights to continue several years ago,” says Justin Lothrop, head of film and television at Votiv. “Christy is an amazing human being and her story is incredible. We knew this would be a compelling film and we’re so excited to share it with the world.”
Martin held the WBC women’s super welterweight title and rose to the top of her chosen sport, earning a reputation for her toughness and endurance. But her personal life was just as dramatic. She overcame her addiction, survived a murder attempt by her estranged husband, recovered, and married her former boxing rival, Lisa Hohlwein. Votiv was able to outbid other companies and persuade Martin to dramatize her life on screen. They then partnered with other production companies, including Anonymous Content, which brought together Sweeney and director David Michod, and Black Bear, which helped finance the film and distributed it in theaters.
“There aren’t many companies that go as deeply into development as we do,” says Lothrop. “We work on things early, as opposed to chasing down spec scripts or rewriting them far down the line. We want to shape things. If there’s a secret sauce, that’s it.”
Votiv started life in 2011 as a management company for musicians, but moved more aggressively into features after Mr. Stiefel connected with Mr. Lothrop, an indie veteran. The company has released more than a dozen features, ranging from comedies (“Obvious Child” starring Jenny Slate) to dramas (“Between Us” starring Julia Stiles) and documentaries (“Alt Right: Age of Rage”). The company hopes to release three to four films a year, and has several projects planned, including the comedy “The Wicker,” starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, and the horror comedy “Patricia Wants a Hug,” directed by Sofia Takal (“Black Christmas”). Earlier this year, the company premiered “Tow,” a drama about a homeless woman starring Rose Byrne, in Tribeca.
In the case of “Christie,” the two are excited that the movie will be released in theaters rather than streaming.
“We have a creative spirit, so we hope all our films will be shown in theaters,” says Stiefel. “That’s not the reality, but that’s the path we want to take.”
