Director Laurie Collyer’s SUNLIGHT JR. Shines With Hyde Park International At Cannes; Stars Naomi Watts, Norman Reedus & Matt Dillon

The gritty, inspirational drama SUNLIGHT JR. will be unveiled to international buyers by Hyde Park International at this year’s Marche du Film. Written and directed by the award-winning Laurie Collyer (SHERRYBABY) and starring Naomi Watts (J. EDGAR, KING KONG), Matt Dillon (CRASH, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY) and Norman Reedus (THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, THE WALKING DEAD). The film is produced by Original Media’s Charlie Corwin (HALF NELSON, THE SQUID AND THE WHALE), Freight Yard Films’ Andrea Roa and Ariel Elia, who is producing on behalf of Empyrean Pictures. Joshua Skurla and Dan Klabin are executive producers for Empyrean, which fully financed the film, and are joined by Simon Fawcett (HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE, IN THE LOOP) as executive producer.

SUNLIGHT JR. is currently in post production and a promo will be shown at Cannes. Shot on location in southern Florida, the story spotlights hard-working convenience store clerk Melissa (Naomi Watts) and her paraplegic boyfriend, Richie (Matt Dillon), who are trapped in a generational cycle of poverty and ignorance. They are genuinely excited, however, once they learn that Melissa is pregnant.  But when she loses her job and they are evicted from the motel they live in, things go from bad to worse. Through this adversity, the couple realizes that they can never lose everything as long as they have each other.

Hyde Park International has built a robust slate for the 2012 Marche du Film, including Hugh Hudson’s MIDNIGHT SUN, which has already generated significant interest among buyers; Medusa purchased Italian rights and Alliance Atlantis purchased Canadian rights. They are also selling ADULT WORLD, the latest comedy from Award-winning commercial and music video director Scott Coffey (ELLIE PARKER) starring Emma Roberts, Evan Peters and John Cusack.

Hyde Park International has become one of the most important foreign sales companies in the world and is a permanent fixture at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and the American Film Market. The company is focused on representing commercial fare as well as award-winning films that serve the global marketplace. Hyde Park’s recent slate includes GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE 3D in partnership with Sony and starring Nic Cage which opened worldwide in February, 2012; the spy thriller THE DOUBLE starring Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Stephen Moyer, Stana Katic and Martin Sheen which opened nationwide in the US in October, 2011; as well as indie favorites such as Richard Linklater’s BERNIE starring Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley Maclaine; the award-winning BLUE VALENTINE starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams; and the Paul Rudd comedy OUR IDIOT BROTHER.