Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Lance Acord, producers and partners in Park Pictures, together with producers Sam Bisbee and Galt Niederhoffer, announce the company’s first feature Robot & Frank has been picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) and Samuel Goldwyn Films for North American Distribution. The dramatic comedy, which premiered to rave reviews at Sundance 2012, marks the feature debut of Park Pictures’ director Jake Schreier and the first feature out of Park Pictures’ feature film division.

Today, Robot & Frank was awarded the The Alfred P. Sloan Prize at Sundance 2012. The award, given each year to a film at the Sundance Film Festival, honors a feature film that focuses on science or technology as a theme, or depicts a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character. Each winner is presented with a $20,000 cash award provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The studio released the following statement about the $2 million+ acquisition: “We have loved this project from the script stage and were at the very first Gala screening in Salt Lake City,” Joe Matukewicz, SPWA Senior Vice President of Acquisitions said. “This winning film strikes a special chord with audiences, and we are delighted to bring ROBOT & FRANK into the Sony Pictures family. Jake’s film shows us a future that is right around the corner, and I for one, can’t wait for my own Robot!”

The film follows aging curmudgeon, Frank (Frank Langella), a confused loner who regularly visits librarian Jennifer (Susan Sarandon.) Frank’s grown-up kids (James Marsden, Liv Tyler) install a caretaker robot to care for their dad and an unlikely friendship begins.

Near-Unanimous Critical Acclaim
Kudos for the film poured in immediately after its January 21st Sundance premiere, including praise from Esquire, Variety, Wired and The Hollywood Reporter, among many others. Said Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Gleiberman, “Langella brings the film a gruff magic… it delighted and touched me.”

Kelman Bisbee and Acord’s Park Pictures is one of the city’s most prestigious commercial production houses, having won numerous Clios, AICP awards, and Cannes Lions, and worked regularly with blue chip corporations including Nike, Target, and Coca-Cola. Acord, who directed the beloved and widely seen “The Force” Super Bowl spot for Volkswagen, was the Director of Photography for “Lost In Translation,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” and “Being John Malkovich.”
Park Pictures Features producer Galt Niederhoffer previously brought eight films to Sundance, with seven of the films winning awards at the festival including Best Director, Best Cinematographer, the Audience Award, and Best Screenplay. Sam Bisbee produced Oscar-winning live action short film “The New Tenants” in 2010 and has four screenplays in development.

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