GRAVITAS VENTURES ACQUIRES ‘CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER’ DOCUMENTARY
TOM HANKS, JOHN MAYER, SAM SHEPARD AND MORE STAR IN THE CINEMATIC LOVE LETTER
Doc set as Cleveland International Film Festival opening night film Wednesday, March 29, 7pm.
CLEVELAND (March 28, 2017) — Gravitas Ventures has announced the acquisition of U.S. rights to California Typewriter, which is set to show tomorrow evening at Tower City Cinemas as the Opening Night Film of the 41st Cleveland International Film Festival. The critically acclaimed documentary launched at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival. It will open theatrically in Los Angeles, New York and a dozen additional markets in the late summer.
California Typewriter is named after one of the last remaining typewriter shops in Berkeley, Calif., which plays a major role in the film. Run by Herbert Permillion III and his family, the business is depicted trying to balance financial security with its decades-long passion for selling and restoring typewriters.
“The film was a real labor of love for everyone involved and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Gravitas and their team,” said Director Doug Nichol, who made the self-funded film over a period of five years.
With the rise of computers and smart phones, typewriters are teetering on the edge of obscurity — much to the chagrin of nearly everyone profiled in this emotionally moving and entertaining documentary. The film masterfully interweaves stories including artist Jeremy Mayer, whose “typewriter assemblage sculpture” uses typewriter parts to assemble intricate, human-like works of art, and expert Martin Howard, who's collected typewriters for nearly 30 years and is on a quest to add a legendary, rare Sholes and Glidden machine to a collection that holds typewriters dating all the way back to 1880.
Nuanced typewriter testimonials from super fans Tom Hanks (who has over 250 machines in his collection), musician John Mayer, playwright Sam Shepard and author David McCullough add incisive perspective. California Typewriter is a love letter to the enduring societal, historical, creative, and artistic value of these machines.
“In exploring the history and fondness people still carry for the typewriter, we are forced to confront an even larger question of how technology factors into our lives and what it’s pushing away,” stated Gravitas Founder and CEO Nolan Gallagher. “It is timely in this age of growth in tech to bring these thought provoking stories to the big screen.”
California Typewriter was directed by Doug Nichol (Sting: Ten Summoners Tales) who also photographed and edited the film. Nichol produced with John Benet (All God’s Children Can Dance). Executive Producers are Charlotte Chatton, James Redford (Paper Tigers) and Dana Schwartz (The United States of Detroit). The deal was negotiated by Nolan Gallagher for Gravitas and Kevin Iwashina and Zac Bright from Preferred Content on behalf of the filmmakers.
ABOUT GRAVITAS VENTURES
Gravitas Ventures is a leading all rights distributor of independent cinema. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with more than 500 content partners, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over 100 million homes. Recent releases include Katie Holmes’ feature directorial debut, “All We Had,” Jonathan Hock’s “Fastball,” Colin Hanks’ “All Things Must Pass,” “Being Evel” from Academy Award® winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville, “Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of,” and “For The Love of Spock” from Director Adam Nimoy.
For more information, please visit gravitasventures.com, and sign up for the e-newsletter, follow @GravitasVOD on Twitter and @gravitasventures on Instagram.
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