Persimmon Acquires Mystery Film ‘Death on the Brandywine’

Independent distribution company Persimmon has acquired distribution rights for the U.S. and several international territories to the mystery film “Death on the Brandywine.”

Kate Burton (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Rena Sofer (“24”), Tuc Watkins (“Paradise”), Jay Huguley (“Cape Fear”), Walt Willey (“All My Children”), Shanley Caswell (“NCIS: New Orleans”) and Guy Nardulli (“Tulsa King”) star, with Satomi Hofmann as amateur investigator Professor Millie Park.

In addition to the U.S., the deal covers Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Written and directed by Nick Wilkinson and produced by Lisa G. Black and Nick Wilkinson, it tells the story of a beloved senator who is found dead at his son’s high-profile campaign fundraiser. His daughter is determined to prove it wasn’t a suicide and uncover the truth.

“Inspired by my admiration for the work of Agatha Christie, I wanted to blend intrigue with emotional depth, suspense with dark humor,” said Wilkinson. “’Death on the Brandywine’ offers a satirical look at how image, ambition, and power collide in contemporary America. I’m delighted that Persimmon shares that vision and is partnering with us to bring the film to audiences.”

The film will debut June 24 in New York with a limited theatrical release, followed by digital release on Apple, Amazon and Fandango. Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard Segel of Storyboard Media negotiated the deal and behalf of the filmmakers, with Mackenzie Maguire on behalf of Persimmon.

Watch the trailer below:

Tuesday, June 9

Mehrnoush Alia’s “1001 Frames” Wins Brooklyn Film Festival’s Grand Chameleon Award; Full List of Winners Announced

The 29th Brooklyn Film Festival has announced the winners of its 2026 awards, including Mehrnoush Alia’s “1001 Frames,” which received the festival’s Grand Chameleon Award.

This year’s 10-day-long edition brought together an international slate of independent films across narrative, documentary, animation, experimental and short-form categories.

“1001 Frames” was also selected as Best Narrative Feature by the jury. “Celtic Utopia,” directed by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén, won Best Documentary Feature. In the short film categories, “Rodrigo” by Jacob Vaughan won Best Narrative Short, “Sea Song” by An-Phuong Ly took home Best Documentary Short, “Paradaïz” by Matea Radic landed Best Animation, and “The House Left Empty” by Juana Orbegozo Forero won Best Experimental.

“This year’s winners represent a continued push toward recognizing independent work in a tough time in our industry,” said Brandon Harrison, Executive Director of Brooklyn Film Festival. “As we close the 29th edition of Brooklyn Film Festival and look ahead to our 30th anniversary, it is especially meaningful to celebrate with artists and partners whose work reflects the spirit of the filmmaker forward festival we’re building here in Brooklyn.

Anthony ‘Mo’ Hassan to Co-star Alongside Terrence Howard and Kate Bosworth in ‘Broken Ones’

Anthony “Mo” Hasan has joined the cast of the feature film “Broken Ones,” starring Terrence Howard and Kate Bosworth.

Hasan will portray Rourke, a “cold, calculated corporate enforcer” who works for Kathleen Sloane (Bosworth). Described as “imposing and unflappable under pressure,” Rourke specializes in high-stakes corporate damage control and finds himself at the center of a pivotal confrontation with the film’s protagonist, Joseph (Howard), as he aggressively protects his client’s interests.

“Broken Ones” is directed by Timothy Gagliardo, and the logline reads, “When a tech company’s autonomous SUV causes a tragic crash involving a local pregnant woman, a ruthless corporate fixer moves quickly to suppress the fallout. Refusing to let the victim be exploited, Joseph steps up to defend his community, igniting a high-stakes legal battle against a powerful corporate machine.”

The film is currently in production in Kansas City and marks Hasan’s feature film acting debut. Hasan currently serves as a football color commentator for broadcasts airing nationally on NBC and NFL Network.

Monday, June 8

Academy Adds 15 Partners for Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Program; Submissions Open Through The Black List

The Academy has added 15 partners for its 2026-2027 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program, including the University of Southern California, The Writers Lab and the Austin Film Festival; 55 total partners now support the program.

Submissions for the fellowship through The Black List are open today through July 6, or when 2,500 entries have been received. Public submissions through the Writers Guild Foundation open June 22 through July 20, or when 2,000 entries have been received.

“After the incredible success of the Nicholl Fellowships last year, the Academy is thrilled to continue expanding this global program through our partners around the world as we deepen our commitment to discovering and championing emerging screenwriters,” Academy governor and Academy Foundation Board president Kim Taylor-Coleman said in a statement.

All scripts are read by Academy members and five writers are ultimately selected for the fellowship. They receive direct mentorship from Academy members, networking opportunities, and are invited to participate in pitch workshops and meet-and-greets.

Check out the full list of 2026-2027 partners below:

The Black List (public submissions partner)
Writers Guild Foundation (public submissions partner)
Austin Film Festival
Australian Film Television and Radio School
Berlin International Film Festival
Brooklyn College
California Institute of the Arts
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Northridge
CAPE
Carnegie Mellon University
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia University
DePaul University
Dillard University
Edinburgh Napier University
Emerson College
Gold House
Harvardwood
Hollywood Arab Film Festival
Howard University
IFFR Pro
International Sámi Film Institute
Latino Film Institute
London Film School
Loyola Marymount University
Morehouse College
Mount Saint Mary’s University
National Film and Television School
New York Film Academy
New York University
Northwestern University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Script Anatomy
Spelman College
Stony Brook University
Storyhouse Dublin Screenwriting Festival
Sundance Institute
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto Metropolitan University
Universidad del Cine
University of the Arts London
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of Cape Town
University of Manchester
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
University of Oxford
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
University of Utah
Urbanworld Festival
Victoria University of Wellington
Wesleyan University
The Writers Lab