Utopia Buys ‘The Sweet East,’ Road Movie With Talia Ryder, Simon Rex, Ayo Edebiri and Jacob Elordi (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comBrent Lang Executive Editor Utopia has acquired North American rights to “The Sweet East,” a contemporary travelogue that marks the feature directing debut of Sean Price Williams.
The sale comes after the film debuted at Director’s Fortnight during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Williams has a reputation as one of the most talented cinematographers in the independent film space, having previously worked with the likes of the Safdie Brothers, Alex Ross Perry, Michael Almereyda, Abel Ferrara and Albert Maysles.
Here, he brings a script by cult film critic Nick Pinkerton to the screen. Critics hailed the film as fresh and often funny, while praising the performance of Talia Ryder, who played a key supporting role in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.” In “The Sweet East,” she plays Lillian, who runs away while on a school trip, encountering everyone from white supremacists and Islamic radicals to neo-punks and woke avant-gardists.
The film also stars Simon Rex (“Red Rocket”), Earl Cave (“True History of the Kelly Gang”), Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”), Jeremy O.
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