IFC Films Nabs U.S. Rights To ‘Diane’: Scorsese-Produced Locarno Entry Stars Mary Kay Place

IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to Kent Jones’ Diane, the Martin Scorsese-exec produced drama starring Mary Kay Place. IFC’s announcement comes as the film makes its international premiere at the Locarno Film Festival this week.

Diane won the Best Narrative Film prize at this year’s Tribeca Film Fest, along with Best Screenplay and Cinematography. IFC plans a theatrical release in early 2019.

“For me, IFC Films has always been a kind of gold standard in film distribution,” said Jones (Hitchcock/Truffaut). “Over the years, as the business has changed in so many ways and on so many levels, they’ve stayed true to the art of cinema: in other words, they buy movies not because they think they’re ‘distributable’ but because they believe in them. I’m so proud that they will be the ones to bring Diane out into the world.”

The film’s synopsis: Diane (Place), whose life, as she knows it, is vanishing before her eyes, lives alone in western Massachusetts, spending her days caring for others and always putting herself last. Her life revolves around her cousins, her friends, her beloved aunts and uncles, and the people she serves at church suppers. Her most precious burden is her grown son, Brian (Jake Lacy), constantly in-and-out of rehab but not fully honest with himself about his addiction. And hovering over Diane’s duty-bound existence is the shadow of guilt for an old sin. Solitude opens to new levels of perception and being…past and present collide…people come and go…and Diane is confronted with the possibility of forgiveness. The cast also includes Andrea Martin, Estelle Parsons, Deirdre O’Connell, Joyce Van Patten, Phyllis Sommerville, Glynnis O’Connor and Paul McIsaac.

“Kent Jones is a revered member of the independent film community and we could not be more thrilled to be partnering with him on his evocative first narrative feature,” said Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, Co-Presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects. “It’s a moving portrait and character study of a woman that transcends expectation. Mary Kay Place’s performance is a revelation. The IFC family is extremely proud to be working with Kent and the film’s producers to bring this heartfelt film to audiences around the country.”

Diane is a Sight Unseen and AgX production, produced by Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Caroline Kaplan and Oren Moverman. It is executive produced by Scorsese along with Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman and Leonid Lebedev.

The deal was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, EVP of Film Acquisitions and Productions, IFC Films and ICM Partners.

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