Gravitas Ventures has made a deal with Viva Pictures in digital video distribution of A Matador's Mistress, company founder and CEO Nolan Gallagher announced yesterday in Austin.
That will allow A Matador's Mistress to finally see the light of day. Gravitas plans to release the film on demand via cable, satellite, telco and online in June 2011.
The feature tells the story of Spain's most famous and respected bullfighter Manuel Laureano ‘Manolete' Rodriguez Sanchez (Brody) and actress and socialite Lupe Sino (Penelope Cruz) who has taken his love. The Menno Meyjes — writen and directed drama covers Manolete's late life love affair with Sino before he was run to death in the bull ring. Sino's, left wing politics turned their affair into a scandal in the early 1940s.
Although the film stars two Oscar winners, it never found any many and check-takers for a theatrical run. In fact it was shot in 2005, four years before Cruz won her Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Back in the day when there were a huge number of indie distributors, someone would have find out a way to press a buck out of theaters, but gone are the days. To Gravitas Ventures' Gallagher, a favourable circumstance now exists on VOD, with greater opportunities for titles with branded names like Brody and Cruz.
Film lovers will have the opportunity to appreciate the find performances of Adrien Brody and Penelope Cruz,” said Gallagher. “Video on Demand is increasingly allowing larger audiences the opportunity to enjoy wider access to well regarded independent films.”
A 2007 multiple named biopic (The Passion Within in the UK and Manolete: Blood and Passion in Canada) premiered on 28 August 2008 in the Toronto International Film Festival. Even though bullfighting scenes were shot expensively without bulls, animal rights activists have encouraged a boycott of the film.
Check out an atmosphere of this controversial flick below. Source: Variety
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEvDtb0I3hw[/youtube]
