Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Sundance Sensation The Diary of a Teenage Girl

NEW YORK (January 27, 2014) - Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they acquired the rights in North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe excluding Russia, Asia, Scandinavia and Germany to Marielle Heller’s directorial debut, THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL. The film, based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner, premiered on Saturday at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it has been one of the most well received films by critics and audiences alike. K5 International is handling all international territories.

Written by Heller, THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL stars Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgård, Chrisopher Meloni and breakout phenomenon Bel Powley. The film is produced by Madeline Samit, Bert Hamelinck, Anne Carey, and Miranda Bailey and executive produced by Michael Sagol, Amanda Marshall, Amy Nauiokas and Jorma Taccone.

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL recounts the coming-of-age adventures of Minnie Goetze (Powley), a San Francisco teenager growing up in the counterculture haze of the 1970s. Lonely and artistic, Minnie chronicles her trials through expressive drawings and painfully honest missives confided to a tape recorder. One fateful evening alone with her mother's (Wiig) boyfriend (Skarsgård), Minnie is confronted with her burgeoning sexuality for the first time, and suddenly this precocious teen is in way over her head.

"Discovering major writer/directors like Mari Heller is why we come to Sundance. There is no richer American movie at Sundance this year. We so look forward to presenting the film to audiences all over the world in a big way," stated Sony Pictures Classics.

“THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL has been a labor of love. Starting out in the Sundance Labs, premiering at the festival, and now finding a home with Sony Pictures Classics, is a dream come true. Their love for film and filmmakers and passion for this movie makes me feel confident THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL will reach its audience,” said writer/director Marielle Heller.

The deal was negotiated with UTA Independent Film Group, on behalf of the filmmakers and K5, who represents international.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.

Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 32 Academy Awards^® (28 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 158 Academy Award^® nominations (132 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.