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Gravitas Ventures has acquired the drama/thriller BREAK, directed by Will Wernick (Follow Me), for worldwide rights and distribution and sets spring 2024 theatrical release date for April 26th in 120 theatres across the United States and Canada. Digital and international release dates to follow soon. The film stars Darren Weiss (Inside Man, Tin Soldier, Bardejov) Victor Rasuk (Reasonable Doubt, Netflix's The Baker and The Beauty) Jeff Kober (The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy)  Caleb Emery (Good Girls, Hunters) Patricia Belcher (Father Stu, 500 Days Of Summer) Also featured are Braedyn Bruner, Uriah Shelton (Freaky), Wendy Braun (Atypical), Suzen Baraka (Blue Bloods), and, introducing Petra C. Matheson.

“BREAK is a powerful underdog story with a lot of heart, reminiscent of 21 and 8 Mile. Gravitas looks forward to releasing the film to US audiences this spring 2024, and to pitching the title to international buyers in Berlin for this year’s European Film Market in a few short weeks,” comments Bill Guentzler, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures. 

The film follows Eli, played by Darren Weiss, as he juggles two jobs, tries to juggle taking care of his sister and mother, and relationship. A series of unexpected events Introduces him to the world of Detroit Pool where he learns his absent father was once a Detroit pool hall legend. Eli journeys into the scene, and confronts the realities and danger of the game - and himself.

Screenplay by Dikega Hadnot, Spencer Mandel, and Wernick. BREAK was produced by John Ierardi and Bo Youngblood of Showdown Productions, and co-produced by Jason Phillips and Nancy Leopardi. Executive producers are Philip Shaltz, Akshay Shah, and Paul Weinberg.

Director Will Wernick states, “When John and Bo brought me the project I was immediately excited at the idea of getting to make a film like this. The script had a very 90s feel to it. I could immediately see pieces of myself in Eli. I was introduced to pool by my father when I was young, and I played a lot in college. It’s a world I’ve always been fascinated by, and a unique  father and son story. I am immensely proud of the film, and so excited for Gravitas to release it.”

John Ierardi is repped by UTA, Bo Youngblood is repped by By Bronson Law Group . Victor Rasuk is repped by The Gersh Agency and Washington Square Films. Caleb Emery is repped by A3 Artist Agency and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Patricia Belcher is repped by Artists and Representatives. Jeff Kober is repped by Artists and Representatives. Darren Weiss is repped by LA Talent. Will Wernick is repped by Bronson Law Group. Spencer Mandel is repped by Original Artists. Dikega Hadnot is repped by Original Artists.

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures is a leading all  rights  distributor  of independent  feature  films  and  documentaries.  Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers,  Gravitas  Ventures  has  distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America - over one billion homes worldwide. Recent Gravitas Venture releases include Deep Fear, Slotherhouse, Padre Pio, Gringa, The Pez Outlaw, Downwind, Mack & Rita, The King’s Daughter, Queen Bees, Our Friend, Vanguard, The Secret: Dare to Dream. For more information, please visit www.gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on X and @gravitasventures on Instagram.