Samuel Goldwyn Films & AMBI Group Team on Release of Thriller LAVENDER

Samuel Goldwyn Films and AMBI Group will partner on the domestic release for the anticipated thriller, LAVENDER. Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly ("The Last Exorcism Part II") who co-wrote the film with Colin Frizzell ("Resident Evil: Apocalypse"), the film stars Abbie Cornish ("Limitless"), Diego Klattenhoff (TV's "The Blacklist"), Justin Long ("Live Free or Die Hard") and Dermot Mulroney ("My Best Friend's Wedding").

Samuel Goldwyn and AMBI will release the film exclusively on DISH on Feb. 3, 2017 one month before it hits theaters and VOD on March 3, 2017. "Lavender" is the second collaboration between the two companies, which will release the Simon Aboud film, "This Beautiful Fantastic," on March 10, 2017.

"Abbie Cornish provides a stellar performance in this psychological thriller," said Melanie Miller, Executive Vice President of Samuel Goldwyn Films. "With beautiful cinematography and a distinct vision from director Ed Gass-Donnelly, we are proud to distribute "Lavender" in partnership with Ambi Group."

In "Lavender," when a photographer (Abbie Cornish) suffers severe memory loss after a traumatic accident, strange clues amongst her photos suggest she may be responsible for the deaths of family members she never knew she had. Justin Long plays a psychiatrist who helps her recover lost memories.

Produced by Dave Valleau ("Capote") and Ed Gass-Donnelly, "Lavender" was executive produced by Andrea Iervolino ("The Merchant of Venice"), Monika Bacardi ("The Humbling"), Tex Antonucci ("The Entitled"), Emily Alden ("Mountain Men") and Jennifer Levine ("G.B.F.").

About Samuel Goldwyn Films

Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion-picture company that develops, produces and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries.

The company is dedicated to working with both world-renowned and emerging writers/filmmakers and committed to filmed entertainment that offers original voices in uniquely told stories. This is best exemplified by the Academy Award® nominated THE SQUID AND THE WHALE and SUPER SIZE ME, AMAZING GRACE and Julie Delpy's hit comedy 2 DAYS IN PARIS. Past Goldwyn titles include: HARRY BROWN starring Michael Caine, the box office smash FIREPROOF and the 2010 independent hit MAO'S LAST DANCER. Samuel Goldwyn Films also released THE WHISTLEBLOWER, a powerful, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller starring Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz, and the 2012 critics' darling ROBOT & FRANK, starring Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella and Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon.

Additional Samuel Goldwyn Films releases include: DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL; Gilles Bourdos' RENOIR, the lush film about the famous painter's later years and France's official submission for the 2014 Academy Awards®; Jason Wise's films SOMM & SOMM: Into the Bottle; 2015 Academy Foreign Language Film Award® nominee TANGERINES; the Israeli dark comedy THE FAREWELL PARTY; the Sundance cult-hit LILA AND EVE starring Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez; Damon Gameau's eye-opening THAT SUGAR FILM which takes on the sugar industry; and Morgan Matthews compelling drama A BRILLIANT YOUNG MIND. Current Samuel Goldwyn Films releases include: CHICKEN PEOPLE, directed by Nicole Lucas Haimes about three show chicken competitors, TRANSPECOS, the directorial debut and 2016 SXSW Audience Award Winner by Greg Kwedar, Sasha Gordon's subversive romantic comedy and festival darling IT HAD TO BE YOU; Ian Old's award-winning BURN COUNTRY with Oscar winner Melissa Leo, James Franco and breakout lead Dominic Rains; and Carles Torrens' physiological thriller PET starring Dominic Monaghan. Upcoming films include 100 STREETS, an ensemble of interconnecting stories within a vibrant contemporary London starring Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton; the contemporary fairy tale THIS BEAUTIFUL FANTASTIC starring Jessica Brown Findlay, Tom Wilkinson, Andrew Scott, and Jeremy Irvine; and YOUTH IN OREGON, the dramatic comedy of a 3,000 mile journey about life with Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella, Billy Crudup, Christina Applegate, Mary Kay Place, and Josh Lucas.

About AMBI Group

AMBI Group is a consortium of vertically integrated film development, production, finance and distribution companies wholly owned and operated by Andrea Iervolino and Monika Gomez del Campo Bacardi, Lady of Bayfield Hall, better known as "Monika Bacardi."

AMBI has quickly emerged as one of the industry's most prolific financing, production and sales companies with the capacity to develop, package, finance, produce and sell a broad array of films for worldwide distribution. Among the films on AMBI's burgeoning film slate are the heist movie "Finding Steve McQueen," starring Travis Fimmel Kate Bosworth William Fichtner and Forest Whitaker, which Mark Steven Johnson is directing; a new Sarah Jessica Parker drama, James Franco's post-apocalyptic thriller "Future World", starring Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Method Man, Suki Waterhouse, Snoop Dogg, and James Franco; the psychological thriller "Black Butterfly" starring Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Rhys Meyers; a remake of Christopher Nolan's iconic film "Memento"; "Lamborghini - The Legend," a biopic on Lamborghini founder Ferruccio Lamborghini to be written by Bobby Moresco; the faith based children's film "Beyond the Sun," featuring His Holiness Pope Francis; the contemporary fairy tale "This Beautiful Fantastic" starring Jessica Brown Findlay and Tom Wilkinson; James Franco's "In Dubious Battle," featuring an ensemble cast that includes Franco, Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Vincent D'Onofrio, Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Bryan Cranston, Josh Hutcherson, Zach Braff and Sam Shepherd; the 3D, CGI animated family film "Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad" starring Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Heidi Klum, John Cleese, James Franco and Anjelica Huston; and the sci-fi thriller "Rupture" starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Chiklis and Peter Stormare.

In 2015, AMBI acquired the Exclusive Media Group film library, which includes an incredibly diverse portfolio of critical hits, commercial blockbusters and cult favorites such as "Begin Again," "Cruel Intentions," "Donnie Darko," "End of Watch," "Ides of March," "Hit & Run," "Memento," "The Mexican," "Parkland," "Rush," "Sliding Doors," "Snitch," "Undefeated" and "The Way Back," to name a few. In addition to the library titles, AMBI now has the rights to a number of titles within EMG's active movie development slate, as well as all sequel and remake rights to the popular EMG films.

Andrea Iervolino has produced, funded and distributed over 55 feature films including "The Merchant of Venice" and "The Humbling." He is considered one of the youngest and most accomplished entrepreneurs in the Italian film industry and was the recipient of the coveted Mimmo Rotella Award for his contributions to the Italian cinema industry - presented to him at the 2014 Venice Film Festival, alongside fellow recipients Al Pacino and Barry Levinson. Iervolino most recently received the Honor of Recognition as Ambassador of Italian Cinema in the World at annual Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF).

Lady Monika Bacardi is the widow of Luis Adalberto Facundo Gomez del Campo Bacardi, Lord of Bayfield Hall, known as Lord Luis Bacardi (descendent of the Bacardi founder, still a family-run company). Renowned for her passion of modern art and love of photography and movies, Monika Bacardi is a highly successful businesswoman who is now committed to producing films, through AMBI, on top of her numerous philanthropic activities.