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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS SAYS YES TO PABLO LARRAĺN’S CANNES FAVORITE NO FROM PARTICIPANT MEDIA
Gael García Bernal Starrer Premiered to a Standing Ovation in Directors’ Fortnight Selection
CANNES (May 22, 2012) – Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights to Pablo Larraín’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight sensation, NO from financier Participant Media in association with Funny Balloons and Fabula. NO stars Gael García Bernal (Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries), Alfredo Castro, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell and Pascal Montero. The film is one of the best received films in Cannes with raves from critics following the first screening in Director’s Fortnight.
Directed by Pablo Larraín (Post Mortem, Tony Manero) from a screenplay by Pedro Peirano (TheMaid), NO is produced by Juan de Diós Larraín and Daniel Dreifuss and executive produced by Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King.
Based on a true story, when Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot’s watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.
“This movie is a masterfully engaging and energetic drama about politics and power, a tonic for the brain that is also a major entertainment. NO establishes Pablo Larrain as a major international director and Gael Garcia Bernal gives his finest performance. We are also delighted to be back in business with our friends at Participant,” stated Sony Pictures Classics.
“Pablo, Gael and the team made a brave, inspiring film, and we are grateful to the audiences at Cannes for embracing it so warmly,” said Participant Media CEO Jim Berk, “Sony Pictures Classics is the perfect partner to introduce this film to American audiences.”
Jeff Ivers and Jonathan King of Participant Media negotiated the deal with SPC.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.
Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 29 Academy Awards® (25 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 127 Academy Award® nominations (101 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.
ABOUT PARTICIPANT MEDIA
Participant Media is an entertainment company that focuses on documentary and narrative feature films, television, publishing and digital content about the real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s online Social Action Network is TakePart. Founded by Chairman Jeff Skoll in 2004, Jim Berk serves as CEO. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, , The Visitor, Food, Inc., The Cove, The Crazies, Countdown to Zero, Waiting for “Superman,” Fair Game, PAGE ONE: Inside The New York Times, The Help, Contagion, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Last Call at the Oasis.
