Director Eugene Kotlyarenko’s latest thriller “Vintage Violence” has secured international distribution through Best Friend Forever ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program. The film stars Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara alongside Nijiro Murakami, Pierre Taki, and Hio Miyazawa. Domestic rights are being handled by WME, marking Kotlyarenko’s eighth feature film to date.
The thriller follows a livestreamer who discovers a collection of rare vintage denim in Colorado. When a subscriber entices him to Japan with promises of substantial payment for the jeans, he becomes entangled in a violent conflict with the Yakuza. Cinematographer Sean Price Williams, known for his work on acclaimed films including “Good Time” and “The Sweet East,” leads the technical team.
Kotlyarenko has built a reputation for incorporating internet culture and online video into contemporary narratives. His previous films “Spree” and “The Code” gained significant attention at Sundance and Fantasia respectively, with “Spree” eventually reaching Netflix’s top rankings. Best Friend Forever co-founders Martin Gondre and Charles Bin expressed enthusiasm for the project, describing it as a funny and irreverent thriller that combines stylistic freedom reminiscent of director Takashi Miike.
The production reunites Kotlyarenko with producers from Spacemaker Productions, the company behind his earlier work. International co-producers include Japan’s Barravento and Mam Film, contributing to the project’s multinational scope.
Originally reported by Variety →
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