EXCLUSIVE: London-based gross sales outfit Rapt Movies Worldwide has acquired worldwide gross sales rights to Benjamin Howard’s debut US movie Riley and can launch gross sales on the upcoming Cannes Market. 

The pic charts the lifetime of a proficient teenage athlete who begins to unravel when his burgeoning queer identification competes in opposition to his concept of what it means to be a person. The movie stars Jake Holley (Wake) because the titular Dakota Riley. Supporting roles are crammed by Colin McCalla (Tyler Perry’s Ruthless, 9-1-1)), Riley Quinn Scott, Connor Storrie, and Rib Hillis. 

Based mostly on writer-director Howard’s real-life experiences as a high-school American soccer participant struggling to come back out, Riley is a function enlargement of Howard’s UCLA graduate quick movie Rendezvous. Howard’s different quick movie Deviant received a Pupil Emmy Award in 2019. 

Riley initially world premiered at September’s Calgary Worldwide Movie Competition. Extra competition alternatives have seen the younger grownup drama journey to San Luis Obispo the place it received an honorable point out for Greatest Narrative Characteristic, BFI Flare in London, and the forthcoming Bentonville Movie Fest the place it performs in competitors. Riley is a Windsor Movie Firm manufacturing in affiliation with Charterhouse Movies. Tommy Anderson and Laura Scarano produce alongside Howard. 

“Riley is strictly the kind of mission we like to champion right here at Rapt, a daring, vivid, and achieved debut absolutely deserving of discovering a wider viewers,” stated Russell Webber, CEO of Rapt. 

“Benjamin Howard brings transferring first-hand expertise to the cultural dialog of reconciling queer identities with historically “masculine” sports activities, a subject that continues to seek out pertinence with there being so few brazenly LGBTQ+ energetic professionals. We will’t wait to share this vital movie with patrons in Cannes.”

Howard provides: “Bringing Rapt on is an thrilling step for us, and we’re so thrilled to see the place the movie takes off from right here.  We’ve seen Riley resonate deeply with a broad number of of us on our competition run, and we hope to see the movie proceed to the touch audiences around the globe.  This can be a story about loving your self, being kinder to your self, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the parents at Rapt, who’ve embraced the movie’s mission and see its potential.” 

Riley completes a trio of younger grownup titles for Rapt Movies alongside Corey Sherman’s US comedy Massive Boys and Gabriel Carrubba’s Australian drama Sunflower.