IFC Films announced today that the company is acquiring North American rights to director Paul Schrader's neo-noir thriller THE CANYONS. The modern-day Los Angeles-set film stars Lindsay Lohan and adult film star James Deen. Producer Braxton Pope led the DIY film's extensive new media strategies which included crowdfunding and online casting. THE CANYONS has been described by Schrader as "cinema for the post-theatrical era."
The film will premiere day-and-date and on digital platforms in early summer in conjunction with a Special Presentation at the Film Society of Lincoln Center where The Canyons will be screened and followed by a conversation with Schrader and Kent Jones, Director of Programming of the New York Film FestivaL. Schrader presented a Master Class on crowdsourcing and DIY production at last year's New York Film Festival and will return to expand upon the process of making the film in a post-screening discussion.Notes Kent Jones, Director of Programming, New York Film Festival: "On one level, The Canyons is a visually and tonally precise, acid-etched horror story of souls wandering through a hyper-materialistic hell, with a fearless and, I think, stunning performance by Lindsay Lohan at its center; on another level, it's an inspiration and an example to us all: it's difficult for me to imagine another filmmaker of Paul Schrader's stature diving into the world of crowd-sourced moviemaking, let alone with such fervor, dedication and rigor."Videos