Clubland Goes to Warner Independent

[Posted by Nicole Sperling] In what may be one of the biggest sales of the festival, Warner Independent Pictures is buying North American, UK and German rights to Clubland, Cherie Nowlan’s Australian romance starring Brenda Blethyn.

Purchased for $4 million without access to international rights, which will be handled by executive producer and sales agent Tristan Whalley and Nicki Parfitt of Goalpost Film, the film may be the richest deal yet for a Sundance filmmaker. UPDATE: WIP confirmed the deal Monday afternoon and added that the film will be released this summer.

Clubland, which centers on an unconventional family that is threatened by the son falling in love with a beautiful girl, received a standing ovation from the audience after its second screening early Monday morning. The film premiered last night to a packed house at the Eccles Theatre.

Paul Federbush and Courtney Armostrong negotiated on Warner's behalf. Rena Ronson, Phil Alberstat and Cassian Elwes of William Morris Independent repped the filmmakers.

[Gregg Goldstein contributed to this report]