Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to distribute A. Shawn Austin, Van Maximilian Carlson and Edi Gathegi’s Princess of the Row.
The acclaimed drama is the winner of 20 festival awards including five ‘Best Feature’ awards and is executive produced by Academy Award Winner® Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary. Directed by Van Maximilian Carlson, written by A. Shawn Austin and Van Maximilian Carlson, produced by A. Shawn Austin and Edi Gathegi. Starring Edi Gathegi (X-Men:First Class, StartUp, The Twilight Saga), Martin Sheen (The Departed, Grace and Frankie, Apocalypse Now, West Wing), Tayler Buck (Annabelle:Creation, Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living), Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty, Devious Maids) and Jacob Vargas (Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy, Traffic), Gravitas Ventures will release Princess of the Row in theaters and video on demand on November 27, 2020.
The inspiring tale of a runaway foster child who will stop at nothing to live with the only family she knows: her homeless, mentally-ill veteran father who lives on the streets of LA’s skid row.
“Van’s film highlights ongoing issues in our country that push many people to the margins, and humanizes those struggles through rich, grounded characterizations and the incredible performances he has drawn out from this talented ensemble, “ said Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures.
“Revelations has always strived to reveal truth and represent underserved voices. And Princess Of The Row does just that as it paints a beautiful, intimate story of a daughter and her father, while also humanizing and highlighting the plight of our brothers and sisters without homes. We are proud to present a film that exemplifies our mission and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!” said executive producers Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary.
“Too often we turn a blind eye to issues plaguing our country, such as homelessness, veteran care, foster care, all of which we touch on in Princess of the Row. Often these issues are pushed to the wayside in our culture, most of us choosing to look the other way. But we forget that behind every struggle is an incredible, and often harrowing, story of strength, resilience and the human spirit. And once you take the time to learn these stories, you begin to put a human face to the struggles, allowing you to empathize and care for these brothers and sisters, and in the process, recognizing the values we all share with one another, that of love, community, and family.” – Van Maximilian Carlson, Director
“From homelessness and veterans affairs, to foster care and mental illness, our film Princess Of The Row reveals ‘heart’ and ‘humanity’ where many in society wish to erase it. Princess Of The Row reminds each of us that we all have something in common… we’re all members of the human race. We love our friends. We love our families. Love is what we share in common. And that love is worth fighting for!” said A. Shawn Austin, Writer/Producer.
“Our mission has always been to put a name and face to the unhoused in an effort to humanize and build empathy within our greater communities. Having Morgan Freeman as EP of our film is crucial in helping bring awareness to the issue of homelessness. Mr. Freeman’s involvement validates our belief in telling stories that are critically important to us. Gravitas has shared goals for the impact this movie can have on audiences and their creativity and passion makes them the perfect partner.” – Edi Gathegi, Producer
Gravitas Ventures’ Vice President of Acquisitions, Tony Piantedosi negotiated the deal with Christine Hsu at CAA and Brad Rosenfeld and Paul Weitzman at Culture Creative Entertainment (CCE).
A. Shawn Austin is represented by Culture Creative Entertainment (CCE). Van Maximilian Carlson is represented by Verve. Edi Gathegi is currently in New Mexico filming the highly anticipated Netflix Western The Harder They Fall produced by Jay Z and directed by Jeymes Samuel. Gathegi is repped by ICM partners, Framework Entertainment and attorney Nina Shaw of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano.