In the lead-up to the European Film Market at the Berlin Film Festival, international sales and finance company The Exchange has acquired worldwide sales rights to Meg Ryan’s directorial debut “Ithaca,” which she also stars in alongside Sam Shepard, Melanie Griffith and Jack Quaid.
Exchange will begin selling rights to buyers in Berlin.
‘Ithaca’ is a deceptively simple story, by turns stark and lyrical,” Ryan said. “It’s sometimes shockingly unsentimental and yet, by some little miracle, never cynical.”
Set in a small town in California’s San Joaquin Valley in 1942, “Ithaca” follows a teenage boy, who aspires to be the fastest bicycle messenger ever. His life is changed as he delivers messages to the town’s residents during WWII.
Erik Jendresen (“Band of Brothers”) wrote the screenplay, based on William Saroyan’s novel, “The Human Comedy.”
“‘Ithaca’ is a story all can relate to: a quintessential coming-of-age story,” says Exchange CEO Brian O’Shea. “The Exchange is excited to watch Saroyan’s words burst with the kind of joy and energy certain to light up the big screen.”
The Exchange recently bought international sales rights to Gillian Robespierre’s Jenny Slate comedy “Obvious Child” at the Sundance Film Festival. The company also premiered Jake Paltrow’s “Young Ones” in Park City.
