Yellow Veil Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome announced have co-acquired North American rights for “Riddle of Fire,” the feature debut of writer and director Weston Razooli. The movie follows three mischievous children as they embark on an odyssey when their mother asks them to run an errand.
The film was also an official selection at this year’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and will screen on the closing night of the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness section. It stars Lio Tipton, Charles Halford, Charlie Stover, Skyler Peters, Phoebe Ferro, and Lorelei Olivia Mote. The film is produced by David Atrakchi, Sohrab Mirmont, Razooli and Tipton. Executive producers are Marlow Griffin Lyddon, Brendon Griffin Lyddon, David Wiener, Kate Wiener, Jay Van Hoy, Sophie Meister, and Donna Gruneich. Mister Smith Entertainment is handling worldwide sales.
This is the first time that the two distributors have partnered. Yellow Veil and Vinegar Syndrome are planning a theatrical release in early 2024, which will include a 35mm print tour to several cities. The distributors will collaborate on all rights of the release including a limited edition Blu-ray, merchandise, board games, and other promotional material.
“I’m super happy for ‘Riddle of Fire’ to become part of the Yellow Veil and Vinegar Syndrome treasure chests,” Razooli said in a statement. “I look forward to creating a trove of artwork, posters, videos, books, and magic items alongside them.”
Yellow Veil Pictures’ Co-Founder Justin Timms said, “’Riddle of Fire’ is a whimsical fairytale that I’m sure is going to leave the Midnight Madness audience in awe. The film also marks the first title in the Yellow Veil slate that I can watch with my kids and I couldn’t be more excited about bringing this film to theaters next year.”
Vinegar Syndrome’s Director of Operations Justin LaLiberty said, “We were won over by ‘Riddle of Fire’s’ deft marriage of coming-of-age fantasia and genre conventions, which is as singular as it is comforting; managing to pull from a variety of inspirations while creating something wholly unique, that has the ability to speak to cinephiles of varying ages. It announces Weston Razooli as a unique new voice, one that we feel will be very welcomed by the Vinegar Syndrome fanbase, and can’t wait to unleash his elegant, charming, gorgeously shot (on 16mm film) and very funny fantasy to captive audiences.”
Critics largely embraced the film, with Hannah Strong of Little White Lies calling it a “simple but sweet fairytale” and Elena Lazic of Cineuropa writing that the film’s “…unexpected and subtle undercurrent of melancholy, as well as its passing commentary about the way technology is depriving kids from living out any true adventures (surveillance cameras, iPhone tracking, perhaps video games, too) make it more substantial than the superficial nostalgic throwback it initially seems to be.”
The deal was negotiated by Timms, Hugues Barbier, and Joe Yanick on behalf of Yellow Veil Pictures and LaLiberty on behalf of Vinegar Syndrome with Shane Kelly, Mister Smith’s VP, international sales & distribution, on behalf of Mister Smith Entertainment and the filmmakers.
