Focus Features has acquired worldwide
rights to the lesbian teen drama Pariah.
The movie, which premiered last week at
the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is the debut
feature from writer/director Dee Rees. Spike Lee is among the film's
executive producers.
The movie is the feature adaptation of
Rees' short film of the same name, which screened at the festival in
2008.
In the movie, Alike, an
African-American teen, is living with her conservative parents and
sister in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood as she begins to affirm
her identity as a lesbian. Alike is especially eager to find love.
“Dee Rees has made a debut film that
celebrates with astonishing artistry the journey of a young woman who
simply never gives up on the power of love,” Focus Features CEO
James Schamus said. “We're thrilled to join her on this next step
of a remarkable journey.”
“They're such smart marketers,”
Rees said, referring to Focus Features, “and they love movies, so
that we knew Focus was the perfect home for Pariah.”
Focus Features acquired the
Oscar-nominated lesbian moms film The Kids Are All Right at
last year's Sundance Film Festival.